Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of Ohio
Cities M-P
Mansfield
This is the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, which housed Mansfield's library from ca. 1887 until 1908, when a Carnegie Library replaced it.
Amazingly, this Romanesque beauty survives intact, and houses the Mansfield Memorial Museum.
The postcard was mailed in 1914, well after the Carnegie building was dedicated. It was printed in Germany for Will M. Barton.
Massillon
The library that put the 'Mass' in Massillon.
This is the second library building, dating from 1937. At the time, it was also used as a museum. But doesn't that look like a TV monitor in the pillar at far left?
The Curt Teich linen finish card dates from 1938.
Medina (Franklin Sylvester Library)
Still in use: heavily renovated, and thrice (1958, 1976, 2008) expanded.
Now part of Medina County District Library System.
Mentor
Replaced.
Complex history best read on the Library's page. Using Google maps discloses the building on a street corner, but its signage is illegible.
Newark
In 1997, this 1950 building was replaced by a much more distinctive building.
This system has 5 branches and a bookmobile.
North Baltimore
This building, which looked as if it could house Amalgamated Standard Lisle Hosiery & Buggywhip–or a high school––is no longer in use. The current building, as seen on Facebook, seems smaller.
Eiseman Studio postcard, collected in 1948 by a traveler. I have several cards annotated by this anonymous man.
Painesville (Morley Library)
The postcard predates the expansions.
Built in 1899. Additions in 1937 and 1978. Replaced in 2004.
Its current use is unknown.
Perrysburg (Way Library)
The not entirely satisfying history on the Way Public Library's web site could be interpreted a number of ways (heh-heh). It appears as if the ca. 1892 building was renovated in 1959 and 1983; and was demolished between 1983 and 2001 for a new building, which was enlarged in 2001.
Google Street View shows a very long, single storey red brick building that just can't be the Romanesque building on the 1907-1917 card.
Piqua
Evidently, there is a lot of confusion about this town's library history. Information comes from the Library's web site.
Schmidlapp Free School Library
Opened in 1890, in a store/home donated by Jacob Schmidlapp to the city's board of education.
(Beats an old Sears store hands down.)
The library moved in 1931 and was renamed to The Piqua Public Library.
Although this card has an unevenly divided back, it was mailed in 1930, slightly before the library's move.
Makes you wonder about the business climate for about 40 years or so.
Flesh Public Library
Doesn't this Library look like the (Piqua) Men's Club it once was? The library spent from 1931 until 2008 in this Tudor buiilding.
Although this card was attributed to the S.L. Company of Sturgis, Michigan, it looks much like those produced by Wayne Printing and Box.
Oddly, the chrome postcard is the better view of the half-timbered library building. Its photo was taken by Edward Kumler.
Poland
Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County. According to the postcard, this was built in 1965.
According to a news release found at the Library's web site, the new building engulfs the old...
...1846 Poland Union Seminary Dormitory.
However, the fate of this nondescript building is undisclosed.
Wilbur Evans card mailed in 1973.
