Carnegie Library - East Liberty Branch: (130 S Whitfield St)

Urban renewal had a major impact on the East Liberty branch of the Carnegie Library. The original library was a 1905 Alden & Harlow building located on Station and Larimer. The library moved to its current spot in 1968 during urban renewal in order to be located within the center of the new East Liberty. The library was built out of steel and concrete with a glass enclosed first story. Today, the library bears little resemblance to how it appears in this 1973 photo. The library underwent a $5.6 million renovation and unveiled a modern, LEED-Certified Silver building in 2010. The building was stripped down to its internal supports and enclosed in a contemporary metallic exterior.

The Children’s Room inside the library displays a wall-sized mural depicting the tales of King Arthur. During the Great Depression in 1935, the Works Progress Administration commissioned local artist Mary Shaw Marohnic to paint a mural for the original East Liberty library. When the library moved to its present location the mural was designated for storage, but two librarians launched a fundraising campaign to have it rehung in the new library.

Sources:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - East Liberty website. https://www.carnegielibrary.org/about-carnegie-library-of-pittsburgh-east-liberty/

Prine, Carl. “Carnegie Library celebrates $5.6M rehab in East Liberty.” Triblive. August 29, 2010.

Sachs, Sylvia. “East End Library Springs to Life.” The Pittsburgh Press. May 4, 1969.