Impact of historical preservation on the Free Library of Philadelphia: its neighborhoods and communities

Abstract

This thesis investigates the impact of historical register designation on four branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia and their communities: Haddington, Holmesburg, Kingsessing and Logan. Andrew Carnegie contributed $40 million to construct 1,689 free public libraries across the United States, which are still known as Carnegie libraries. The design and construction of each library was a collaborative community effort, making the library a place for the general public, in contrast to the elitist subscription libraries of the early 1900s. Many Carnegie libraries are today in need of repair and renovations. As the buildings aged, some people supported plans to demolish the libraries to create anew rather than renovate or reuse. Historical preservation is a viable alternative, and these buildings hold an important place in their communities and their history. Philadelphia has recently faced a crisis that threatened to close four Carnegie Libraries. Located in economically depressed regions, these communities are heavily reliant on their libraries as places of safety, education, entertainment, and technology. The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia nominated these four to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, which the Philadelphia Historic Commission accepted by the Philadelphia Historical Commission in 2009. These four libraries permit a study of the impact of historic preservation on inner-­‐city neighborhoods.%%%%M.S., Science, Technology, and Society – Drexel University, 2010