Carnegie Secrets

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
As part of our move to the Carnegie Library Museum, I thought I would make today’s blog post about the Carnegie Library itself! As many of you may know, the Carnegie Library was the only library in Perry until the mid-1990s, when the current Public Library was constructed (due to the need to comply with fire safety laws). However, how many of you remember what the Carnegie looked like before it was restored?
 
For instance, the picture you see here is the old front door of the library! Unlike the restored door, the original door was only one door, and featured glass on either side. The only thing that remained for the restored door is the glass work above the door itself. Aside from the door, many of the other restorations are faithful to the original Carnegie. Objects such as the tables, chairs, and fireplace all were respectfully restored to preserve the look and feel of the original library. In fact, the tables even have the original etchings in them, as they were only refinished! There are also a few pictures around that show the original layout of the library. Perhaps some of the most interesting objects in the Carnegie are a few things that were original to the Carnegie library, but to find out what they are, you’ll have to come get a tour of the Carnegie yourself!
 
Another interesting part about the restoration of the Carnegie involves the floors. There are three different kinds of floors that can be found in the Carnegie: wood, tile, and cork. All of these floors were modeled after the floors in the original building, and they all hold an interesting little tidbit. For example, there are both square and hexagon tiles in the building, but what is the significance behind that? Come tour the Carnegie Library Museum to find out! As with our previous office, we are open from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, so come by any time you are free to have a tour and learn for yourself about the Carnegie Library Museum!

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