In Days Gone By: Chosen site of Edmonds’ Carnegie Library was second choice of many

Foreword: On Nov. 7, 2024 we published an article regarding the beginnings of the Edmonds Public Library, which you can read here. The article documented that in July 1909 the City of Edmonds agreed to take over the Edmonds Library Association and build a one room library on a large city-owned lot on the southeast corner of Bell and 5th Ave N. The new library was to be located just west of the existing fire tower and shed which housed the city’s fire hose wagon.

The article also stated that while the new library was being built, Rev. Lockwood, the appointed town librarian, became the primary spokesperson for a group of prominent citizens in talks with the Andrew Carnegie Foundation regarding the possibility of securing a grant to build a much larger and permanent city-owned library.

History of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation Grants

In 1886, the foundation began to donate funds to build new libraries across the U.S. During the next 33 years, the Carnegie Foundation donated funds to over 1,600 towns and cities to build new libraries. Most towns had been storing their books in churches, office buildings and even stables. Few people had ever stepped into a building solely used as a library.

In 1901, following a fire that destroyed the wooden Seattle library’s primary location on Yesler Way, Carnegie offered a significant $200,000 for a new, fireproof central library building.

Later in 1908 and in 1911, Carnegie provided $175,000 in additional funding for five new branch libraries.

The Carnegie Foundation Grants’ provisos

To receive a Carnegie Foundation Library Grant the city/town had to meet several requirements. They included:
• The site where the library was to be built had to be owned by the city.
• The site had to be large enough to provide for significant expansion in the future.
• The city had to pledge funds equivalent to 10% or more of the grant amount yearly to maintain the building in good working order.

Edmonds – where should the library be built?

As talks with the Carnegie Foundation continued in the late summer and early autumn of 1909, it became clear that the city had to soon commit to a site for the construction of the library. The city owned only one lot large enough to build a grand library and have room for expansion, and it was just south of where the newly built one-room library was situated.

But numerous citizens didn’t like that choice. Their objections were centered around the physical makeup of the town and where the lot was located. It was pointed out that:

• The city business district was rapidly expanding south of Main Street between 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue South. The proposed site was almost at the city limits and to the north it was primarily multi-acre farms.
• Placing the library in front of the fire tower, fire bell and fire hose wagon was going to be detrimental to the city’s volunteer fire department.
• The businesses adjacent to and just south of the proposed site — a blacksmith shop and a wood/coal transport company — had inherent dirt and uncleanliness factors that would be detrimental to library goers in the future.
• There were also concerns voiced by the residents across the street from the proposed site regarding the noise, dirt and interruptions a large construction project would entail.

The above drawing, which is not drawn to scale, shows the surrounding environment in 1910. On the northeast corner of Main Street and 5th Avenue was the Rynearson blacksmith shop. C.W. Rynearson opened his business in 1906 and was in that structure until 1916.

Author’s note: You can read more about W.S. Rynearson and his history here.

Just to the north of Rynearson’s shop was Ed Woodfield’s wood and coal transport company. As Ray Cloud points out on page 18 of Edmonds, The Gem of Puget Sound: “One of the early industries in Edmonds was supplying fuel for many of the steamers which plied up and down the Sound. Cordwood was cut in the woods back of town, hauled by team and wagon to the wharf where it was piled neatly along the edge of the dock, ready to be transferred to the furnace rooms of the steamers.” On page 98, Ray Cloud states that Ed Woodfield was in the livery business and continued to transfer fuel until the early 1930s.

Note: The above photo is believed to be circa 1915. The top of the Carnegie Library is visible above the Woodfield wooden building. The front stairway to the library can also be seen.

Ed Woodfield’s operations were extensive. Besides his front office on 5th Avenue, he had several large sheds in the rear where wood and coal were dropped off and then later transported to the wharf or to individual residences. It is fair to assume that dozens of wagons or trucks were in and out of his daily operations, which would have been potentially dangerous for library goers.

What about alternative locations?

Given the concerns, a group of citizens began to explore alternative sites. It was understood that the city had to own the land where the library was to be built, so several of the town’s wealthiest landowners were apparently approached regarding any property they owned. George Brackett didn’t have any property available, having previously donated land for the city’s first grade school and later donating additional property for the construction of the larger grade school above 7th Avenue and Main Street.

A.M. Yost had already donated a large piece of land (Yost Park), whose streams provided fresh drinking water to the city’s residents via the establishment of the Edmonds Spring Water Company in 1902. He had also just donated a building lot east of 5th Avenue South on Dayton Street for the construction of a large gymnasium and the Edmonds Opera House.

Author’s note: You can read about the history of the Edmonds Opera House here.

It became quickly apparent that there was only one property large enough to meet the physical requirements of the proposed library and was close to the downtown business area and the grade school. That property was owned by F.W. Peabody and was located on the southwest corner of 5th Avenue and Dayton Street.

F.W. Peabody was classified by some as eccentric, but he was a shrewd businessman and real estate investor. When approached, Peabody apparently stated that he might be willing to sell the property at a discounted price. This became the preferred location by a few of the city’s citizenry.

Sadly, the city was in a difficult financial position. Revenues were going to be decreasing given that saloon license fees and other business charges were going to soon disappear due to the city voting to go “dry.” The city didn’t have much in the way of funds to purchase additional property.

In the end, the city could not come to an agreement with Peabody. If Edmonds wanted a Carnegie funded library, the only alternative available was the city-owned lot between Ed Woodfield’s Transfer Company on the south and the newly constructed wooden library and fire tower/shed on the northeast.

Author’s note: You can read more about F.W. Peabody here.

Facing that reality, the city reached an agreement with the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, receiving a $5,000 grant for the construction of a large, city-owned library.

In reflection

The Carnegie Library building has served Edmonds well for nearly 115 years. Once completed, the building’s ground floor was occupied by the city’s offices and jail, and the upper floor contained the library. This arrangement lasted for over 50 years until the offices and library moved in the early 1960s. When the Edmonds Historical Society was established in 1973, the society took over control of the building. Today it is the home of the Edmonds Historical Museum.

In looking back at a few of the earliest photographs of the surrounding area, I imagine it was hard to realize the grandeur of the building as it was being built. Every structure near it was wooden, and it was situated near the city limits.

Even the building where the mayor and city council had been meeting was described as a “shack,” and it was located kitty-corner to the wooden library building.

Conversely, I wonder what the building’s history might have been if F.W. Peabody had donated his lot to the city for the library’s construction. The building, if still standing, would be situated where Sound Credit Union is now located.

Thanks go to the Edmonds Historical Museum, MOHAI, Sno Isle Genealogical Society and Gayle Waddle-Wilkes for their assistance in researching this article.