List of Carnegie libraries in Kentucky

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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Kentucky Carnegie libraries map}}

The following list of Carnegie libraries in Kentucky provides detailed information on United States Carnegie libraries in Kentucky, where 23 public libraries were built from 15 grants (totaling $795,300) awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1899 to 1914. In addition, academic libraries were built at 4 institutions (totaling $101,500). As of 2013, 24 of these buildings are still standing, and 7 still operate as libraries.

Key

{{legend2|#CEF2CE|Building still operating as a library|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend2|#EEF2CE|Building standing, but now serving another purpose|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend2|#F2CEF2|Building no longer standing|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend2|#A8EDEF|Building listed on the National Register of Historic Places|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend2|#E6E6FA|Building contributes to a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

Public libraries

class="wikitable sortable" align="center"

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Library

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|City or
town

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" | Image

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Date
grantedAt various times, Bobinski and Jones disagree on these numbers. In these cases, Jones' numbers have been used due to both a more recent publication date and a more detailed gazetteer of branch libraries, which are often where the discrepancies occur.

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Grant
amountGrants for multiple libraries (Louisville) are listed only by their total amount, not broken down for each branch.

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Location

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" | Notes

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 1

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Corbin

| {{dts|1914|Apr|13}}

| $6,000

| 402 Roy Kidd Ave.
{{coord|36|56|59|N|84|05|38|W|name=Corbin}}

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 2

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Covington

| {{dts|1900|Jan|15}}

| $85,000

| 1028 Scott Blvd.
{{coord|39|04|48|N|84|30|26|W|name=Covington}}

| Now the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center containing five art galleries and a theater{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sh4DAAAAMBAJ&q=downtown+cincinnati&pg=PA14 | title=Arts Organizations | publisher=Cincinnati Magazine | work=Cincinnati USA City Guide | date=2007 | accessdate=2013-05-06 | author=Smith, Steve| pages=14|display-authors=etal}}

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 3

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Henderson

| {{dts|1901|Jul|3}}

| $25,000

| 101 S. Main St.

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 4

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Hickman

| {{dts|1906|Nov|27}}

| $10,000

| 312 Main St.
{{coord|36|34|18|N|89|11|07|W|name=Hickman}}

|

-

| align=center | 5

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Hopkinsville

|

| {{dts|1912|Dec|3}}

| $15,000

| 708 Liberty St.

| Vacant since the library moved in 1977. Undergoing restoration, to reopen as the Hopkinsville Carnegie Library of Kentucky Architecture

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 6

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Lawrenceburg

|

| {{dts|1908|Apr|6}}

| $5,800

| 108 E. Woodford St.

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 7

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Lexington

| {{dts|1902|Jan|16}}

| $60,000

| 251 W. 2nd St.

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 8

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Louisville Main

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| $450,000

| 301 W. York St.
{{coord|38|14|40|N|85|45|28|W|name=Louisville_Main}}

| Main branch of Louisville Free Public Library

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 9

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Louisville Crescent Hill

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 2762 Frankfort Ave.
{{coord|38|15|16|N|85|41|29|W|name=Louisville_Crescent_Hill}}

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 10

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Louisville Eastern

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 600 Lampton St.

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 11

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Louisville Highland

|

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 1000 Cherokee Rd.

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 12

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Louisville Jefferson

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 1718 W. Jefferson St.
{{coord|38|15|22|N|85|46|47|W|name=Louisville_Jefferson}}

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 13

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Louisville Parkland

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 2743 Virginia Ave.

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 14

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Louisville Portland

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 3305 Northwestern Parkway

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 15

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Louisville Shelby Park

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 600 E. Oak St.
{{coord|38|14|01|N|85|44|44|W|name=Louisville_Shelby_Park}}

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 16

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Louisville Western

| {{dts|1899|Nov|11}}

| —

| 604 S. 10th St.
{{coord|38|14|59|N|85|46|03|W|name=Louisville_Western}}

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 17

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Middlesboro

| {{dts|1908|Nov|20}}

| $15,000

| 207 N. 20th St.
{{coord|36|36|33|N|86|42|53|W|name=Middlesboro}}

|

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 18

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Newport

| {{dts|1899|Oct|30}}

| $26,500

| 401 Monmouth St.

| A new library structure for Newport opened in 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cc-pl.org/about-the-library/library-history|title = Library History}} Today the former Carnegie library hosts the Carnegie Hall event center.{{cite web | url=https://www.newportcarnegie.com | title=Homepage | publisher=Carnegie Hall | accessdate=13 June 2019}}

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 19

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Owensboro

| {{dts|1903|Nov|18}}

| $30,000

| 901 Frederica Ave.
{{coord|37|46|02|N|87|06|45|W|name=Owensboro}}

|

-

| align=center | 20

| {{Carnegie library razed color}} | Paducah

|

| {{dts|1901|Oct|13}}

| $35,000

|

| Burned December 30, 1964.

-

| {{HD color}} align=center | 21

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Paris

|

| {{dts|1903|Jan|2}}

| $12,000

| 701 High St.

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 22

| {{Carnegie library color}} | Shelbyville

| {{dts|1901|Dec|30}}

| $10,000

| 309 8th St.
{{coord|38|12|45|N|85|13|17|W|name=Shelbyville}}

|

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 23

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Somerset

| {{dts|1905|Dec|8}}

| $10,000

| 300 College St.
{{coord|37|05|45|N|84|36|06|W|name=Somerset}}

|

Academic libraries

class="wikitable sortable" align="center"

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Institution

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Locality

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" | Image

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Year
grantedMiller, pp. 38–40

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Grant
amount

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"|Location

! style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" | Notes

-

| align=center | 1

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Berea College

|

| {{dts|1904|Mar|10}}

| align=right | $30,000

|

| Now called the Frost Building, houses classrooms

-

| {{NRHP color}} align=center | 2

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Centre College

| {{dts|1913|Feb|13}}

| align=right | $30,000

|

| Open 1913–1967

-

| align=center | 3

| {{Carnegie library former color}} | Kentucky Wesleyan College

|

| {{dts|1913|Jul|9}}

| align=right | $15,000

| 15 Wheeler Ave.

| County Parks and Recreation

-

| align=center | 4

| {{Carnegie library razed color}} | University of Kentucky

|

| {{dts|1906|Mar|12}}

| align=right | $26,500

|

|

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Florence|title=Carnegie Corporation Library Program 1911–1961|publisher=Carnegie Corporation|location=New York|year=1963|oclc=1282382|ref=Anderson}}
{{cite book|last=Bobinski|first=George S.|title=Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development|publisher=American Library Association|location=Chicago|year=1969|isbn=0-8389-0022-4|ref=Bobinski}}
{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Theodore|title=Carnegie Libraries Across America|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=New York|year=1997|isbn=0-471-14422-3|ref=Jones}}
{{cite book|last=Miller|first=Durand R.|title=Carnegie Grants for Library Buildings, 1890–1917|publisher=Carnegie Corporation of New York|location=New York|year=1943|oclc=2603611|ref=Miller}}Note: The above references, while all authoritative, are not entirely mutually consistent. Some details of this list may have been drawn from one of the references (usually Jones) without support from the others. Reader discretion is advised.

{{Carnegie libraries (US)}}