Carnegie Library

The Logan County Genealogical Society, Inc.

Established In 1981

The Guthrie Carnegie Library
Total construction cost was approximately $25,000

The Guthrie Carnegie Library was constructed in 1902/03 and was the second Carnegie Library built in Oklahoma and is the oldest still standing. The library was funded by Andrew Carnegie and J. H. Bennett was hired as the contractor. Although always used as a library, it is important to the state's history. Until 1907 Guthrie was the capital of Oklahoma Territory; then from 1907 until 1910 Guthrie was the state capital.
The library came about as a result of the work of the Federated Women's Club of Guthrie. Thegroupneeded large room for meetings, since most homes did not have enough space for their local and state meetings.
From this group, a library board was established which approached Andrew Carnegie requesting a grant to construct the building. The building's style is Second Renaissance Revival. Andrew Carnegie did not like many of the library's features, such as the dome, fireplace, and the room for community civic group to meet. He believed that the space and money used for such extras would have been better spent for books and shelves. Guthrie has the only Carnegie Library with a dome that was paid for by Carnegie funds. Other Carnegie libraries that have domes were paid by other funds.
Frank Frantz, the last territorial governor, was inaugurated on the library's front steps on January 5, 1906, with over 10,000 spectators in the crowd, Frantz had been a member of the "Rough Riders" in the 1898 Spanish-American War and 25 of his former comrades participated in the inaugural parade.
Charles N. Haskell, the first state governor, took the oath of office on these same steps on Nov. 16, 1907 Just before Haskell inauguration, a symbolic wedding uniting Mr. Oklahoma and Miss Indian Territory was performed. The State Capital newspaper reported that 15,000 to 20,000 visitors were in Guthrie that day.
The upper floor of the building features a large central domed rotunda where the circulation desk still stand. This area has a tiles floor. There are five auxiliary rooms off the central area.
Time has dealt less kindly with the lower floor of the building. In the early days Tom Mix, later a Hollywood cowboy star, taught boxing in the gymnasium which was in the basement and a part of the first floor.
Years later a floor was added to the gym and the lower area was converted into a recreation facility for local teenagers.
The basement and first floor now contain museum offices and storage areas and are not accessible to the public.

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