The Quinsigamond Branch Library, now part of the Quinsigamond Elementary School. is an historic school building and former library at 14 Blackstone River Road in
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
. The building was originally built as a
Carnegie Library in 1913 with funds donated by
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
, who was present to lay the cornerstone that year. It as since been converted into part of the Quingisamond Elementary School. The building was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1980.
Description and history
The former Quinsigamond Branch Library building stands at the southwest corner of Blackstone River Road and Stebbins Street. It is a single story masonry structure, built out of red brick with limestone trim. Its main facade faces east, and is symmetrically arranged, with a central projecting entry pavilion flanked by groups of three windows. The entry is sheltered by a shallow porch that projects from the pavilion, supported by round Ionic columns. The flanking window groups consist of casement windows with decorative transoms above. The roof is flat, but is obscured by a parapet with limestone coping.
The building is now joined to the adjacent elementary school building.
The library was one of three built in the city that were funded in part by a grant from
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
. Before its branch libraries were built, residents in outer neighborhoods had to either travel to the central library on Elm Street, or use neighborhood pickup points. The land on which it stands was donated by the American Steel and Wire Company.
[ The architects were the Fuller & Delano Company of Worcester. The library was closed (along with all the other branches) in 1990. It was thereafter joined to the school, and now houses its cafeteria.]
See also
* List of Carnegie libraries in Massachusetts
*
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Library buildings completed in 1913
Libraries in Worcester, Massachusetts
Schools in Worcester, Massachusetts
Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Beaux-Arts architecture in Massachusetts
Carnegie libraries in Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Worcester, Massachusetts
1913 establishments in Massachusetts
1990 disestablishments in Massachusetts