The Pansy Garden Club; Ardmore, Oklahoma
Posted by: 
boatchick
N 34° 10.251 W 097° 08.137
14S E 671837 N 3782670
Even before Oklahoma became a state, the people of Ardmore had public library service thanks to a Carnegie grant.
Waymark Code: WM7CP0
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 10/05/2009
Views: 11
In 1903, the city of Ardmore received a $15,000 Carnegie grant. Work was begun on a two-story library, which was finished in 1905. Delays prevented the library from opening to the public until 01 October 1906, over a year before Oklahoma became a state in November 1907.
As early as 1912, the library was reporting financial problems. Building upkeep and book purchases were draining the library's funds. By 1925, the building needed extensive remodeling. It was again deemed safe for use and reopened in November 1926. Further remodeling may have taken place after a 1946 tornado. A study of Oklahoma's Carnegie Libraries compiled by Susan Booker, University of Oklahoma, and Tanya Finchum, Oklahoma State University notes that the second story of the library was removed at some point. Amazingly, no primary source information was available to determine when this happened. The building now has a large attic accessed by a drop-down staircase. In addition to the removal of the second story, a large room was added to the back of the library at some point. Care was taken to make the newer wing match the original design and building materials.
The Ardmore Library moved into a new facility in September 1963. Today, the Carnegie building is owned by the Pansy Garden Club. The building is rented out for parties and receptions. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, the former Carnegie Library is listed as building #00000620.
References:
Bobinski, George. Carnegie Libraries
Jones, Theodore. Carnegie Libraries Across America
Ardmore Public Library - About us
Ardmore's Carnegie Library
Pansy Garden Club