Carnegie Libraries byways Tour: Cornell & Mt Vernon
In 1903, Cornell College and the City of Mount Vernon received a grant offer from Andrew Carnegie which allowed for the building of a library. This collaboration between a private college and a community to share a library is possibly the only one in the country. Although the library outgrew itself, the collaboration did not.
Securing the Grant
Recognizing the value of Carnegie’s library program, Senator William B. Allison and Governor Leslie M. Shaw used their influence to help Cornell College and Mount Vernon obtain a $40,000 grant offer in 1901 for a joint library. By 1903, the contract among the college, the city, and Carnegie was finalized, though it required several legal and administrative steps:
- Ownership and control: Cornell College agreed to provide the land and required a two‑thirds majority on the library board.
- Carnegie’s conditions: Carnegie insisted that annual maintenance—estimated at $4,000—be guaranteed. Mount Vernon would contribute $500 through taxation, and the college would supply the remainder.
- State legislation: Iowa’s library law had to be amended to allow joint ownership and governance between a city and a private college. The Thirtieth General Assembly enacted the necessary changes.
A community fundraising effort in 1928 later created a maintenance endowment, with contributions from local donors, Carnegie himself, and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Designing and Constructing the Building
The architectural firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge of Boston and Chicago designed the new library, while Bartlett & Kling of Cedar Rapids served as contractors. The building featured a Neo‑Classical design with red brick, two main floors, and a basement. A north-side stack addition included iron-and-glass floors installed in 7’8” sections as funds allowed, and a spiral iron staircase connected all levels, including an exterior access point.
Because the library was built on a hillside, extensive foundation work was required, leading to cost reductions elsewhere in the design. At one point, the architects consulted the Olmsted Brothers regarding the placement of a memorial fountain—an intriguing connection to the firm’s broader landscape work on the Cornell campus. Whether the fountain was ever constructed remains unclear.
The building’s inscriptions were originally planned as:
- Main cornice: “Library Building”
- Entrance panel: “The Gift of Andrew Carnegie”
Cornerstone and Opening
Cornell College scheduled a cornerstone ceremony for June 14, 1904, even before the architectural drawings were complete. A special contract allowed construction of a foundation platform solely for the event. A 12-inch copper box containing documents was placed inside the cornerstone.
The library opened in September 1905 with 26,000 volumes under the supervision of librarian May L. Fairbanks. Mount Vernon, which had no public library of its own, gained full access to the college’s collection.
Although the 1903 contract established the building, no subsequent legal agreement defined the ongoing relationship between the Cornell College Library and the Mount Vernon Public Library. For decades, the arrangement functioned informally as a “gentleman’s agreement.”
When Cornell College opened a new library building in 2001, the Mount Vernon City Council passed an ordinance officially designating the Cole Library as the community’s public library. Today, the Russell D. Cole Library houses both the Cornell College Library and the Mount Vernon Public Library. Each maintains its own identity and website, but all materials are available to all users. To local knowledge, no other private college and municipality in the nation share a library in this way.
Later Use of the Carnegie Building
The original Carnegie Library was eventually repurposed as the Norton Geology Building, and its inscriptions were removed. The Cornell College Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, making Cornell one of only two colleges in the country with this distinction.
As you drive the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway through the National Historic District, slow down and take note of the buildings on both sides of the road and explore the College Campus, it is a beauty.
See you on the byway!
As always, thank you to the Carnegie Libraires in Iowa Project for the work they have provided and photographs. Thank you to the Cole Mount Vernon Public Library and the Lisbon Historic Preservation Commission and Visit Mount Vernon- Lisbon for information and photos.
