The Aitkin Carnegie Library is a Carnegie library in

Aitkin, Minnesota Aitkin ( ) is a city in Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,168 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Aitkin County. History Before the establishment of City of Aitkin, a transient community of Lexington was loc ...

, United States. It was designed by architects

Claude & Starck Claude and Starck was an architectural firm in Madison, Wisconsin, at the turn of the twentieth century. The firm was a partnership of Louis W. Claude (1868-1951) and Edward F. Starck (1868-1947). Established in 1896, the firm dissolved in 1928. The ...

and was built in the

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

style. It was listed on 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 1982. It is a one-story buff-colored brick building upon an elevated basement and a concrete foundation. It has a central classical

pedimented Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pediment ...

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

. In 1981 it was deemed "significant both for its role in the intellectual and cultural development of Aitkin and as a well-preserved example of the Minnesota small-town library structures financed 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 ...

, noted turn-of-the-century steel magnate. Aitkin citizens organized a free public library in 1904. The library collection was temporarily housed in the village council chamber until the present structure's construction in 1911 with a $6,500 grant from the Carnegie Foundation. The library, unlike many Carnegie-funded libraries which have been demolished or altered as community library systems have expanded, retains its original design integrity while continuing to serve the community in its intended educational role. Architecturally, the library is a notable local example of public Neo-classical design." With In 1982 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the building currently serves as the Jaques Art Center. In 1995 the building was purchased for $1 by area citizens wanting a home for the preservation and exhibition of the work of Aitkin County artist,

Francis Lee Jaques Francis Lee Jaques (September 28, 1887 - July 24, 1969) was an American wildlife painter. Jaques hunted and trapped with his father and connected with editors and writers from major hunting magazines. While still a teenager, Jacques paid ten dolla ...

. The building was renovated in 2004 adding an elevator, the Jaques Gallery, and a classroom. Tremendous care was taken during the renovation to preserve the historical integrity of the structure, however the maintenance of this structure is costly and the Jaques Art Center has been in search of funding for maintenance and repairs. The nonprofit Jaques Art Center is home to the largest collection of Francis Lee Jaques art outside of the Bell Museum and hosts new art exhibits approximately every 8 weeks. In keeping with the original Carnegie Library tradition, the gift shop also has an extensive book collection.

References

External links

Jaques Art Center
Library buildings completed in 1911 Aitkin, Minnesota Carnegie libraries in Minnesota Neoclassical architecture in Minnesota Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota 1911 establishments in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Aitkin County, Minnesota {{Minnesota-NRHP-stub