Carnegie Library byways Tour: DeWitt, IA
Heading west on the Lincoln Highway, we come to our next Carnegie Library in DeWitt, Iowa. DeWitt had a public library long before it had a Carnegie Library. In 1897, a large group of citizens created the DeWitt Library Association by selling stocks. Stockholders gave $1 every 6 months for 5 years to have access to the library. Non-stockholders could also obtain a library card by paying a fee of $1 every year. The library contained 800 volumes.
By 1901, the citizens, as well as electors, petitioned for the library to be a Free Public Library funded and maintained through taxes. On March 25th of that year, during a regular municipal election, a majority vote was reached in favor of the Free Library. In January of 1902, the stockholders voted to turn the library over, and on April 2nd, the deed was transferred to the city. On April 7th, the Free DeWitt Public Library was opened to the public in a rented building on Main Street.
It wasn’t until 1906 that the DeWitt Public Library Board of Trustees began discussing the possibility of a Carnegie Grant, but with the growth of the library, a new space was needed. By April 8th, 1907, a Carnegie Grant was offered with the usual requirements of the city, which many were already met; a location was all that was needed. The corner of what is now 6th Ave and 9th St. was chosen.
The original grant offer was for $5,600, and an additional grant of $1,516 to complete the build. The architect of the Neoclassical design is unknown, and the contractor was Large Brothers from DeWitt. The opening date was June 1, 1908, and by 1909, the collection had grown to 1,774 books serving not just DeWitt but also surrounding communities and even troops during WW1 and WW2.
A remodel was done in 1962 to lighten the dark interior and add shelving and desks, but by the 1980s, the Board began looking for a new location as they had outgrown the Carnegie Building. After raising the needed funds and receiving large donations, the Frances Banta Waggoner Library opened its doors across from Lincoln Park. With 7,500 square feet of space, the library could now offer meeting areas and computer stations. The staff and volunteers moved the 15,000 volumes of books to the new location.
For a time, the town’s City Hall was located in the Carnegie Building until it outgrew the space. Then, a couple converted the building into a family home. In March of 2016, Jon and Lindsay Thiel bought the building and converted it into an event space.
This time is significant as they restored the original hardwood floors and wood trim around the doorways, converted the old wooden doors into the bar, and added handicap accessibility.
They chose to name the business ‘The Old Library’ as the building was already affectionately referred to by the town. The lower level was then rented to Soul Sisters Boutique (still in business but at a different location).
The Old Library event center and bar was successful, still, the busy life of the Thiels led them to sell the business to Beth and Martin Lanhart in February 2018. The Lanharts remodeled the building once again to expand the business with a kitchen and restaurant, which still operates today!
The Old Library is a family-run restaurant that takes pride in crafting every dish with care. They are open Wed-Sat 5 pm-9 pm.
Meanwhile, the Frances Banta Waggoner Community Library was outgrowing its space once again. In 2019, the library received a Community Attraction and Tourism grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority and expanded the library to fill the entire block of 5th Ave between 9th and 10th Streets. They also moved the front door to 5th Ave and decided to rename the library, the DeWitt Community Library, with the after-hours entrance being the Frances Banta Waggoner Community Library Entrance on 10th St. The new library space provides space for several private study rooms, as well as separated age-appropriate reading and activity spaces, classrooms, and community art space.
The community of DeWitt and the surrounding areas has a deep history in the value of education available to all, and it shows through their story.
See you on the byway!
Sources: Information on the history of the DeWitt Public Library/ DeWitt Community Library was gathered from the Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project; articles written by Ann Soenksen, president of the Central Community Historical Society; “DeWitt library created with help of stockholders,” published in the DeWitt Observer Newspaper on June 1, 2018; “something new at the old library,” by Kate Howes published in the Observer on Nov 19, 2016; Carnegie Library on Wikipedia, The Old Library Facebook page; DeWitt Hometown Tour stories on News 8’s YouTube channel: WQAD 8 ABC Author: Shelby Kluver (WQAD); Published: 6:46 PM CDT June 14, 2023; and Google Maps
