The story of the Carnegie Library in Patchogue in Brookhaven on the South Shore of Long Island is a great case study in library history. The village started with an association library in the late 1800s, a subscription-based collection of books that floated between stores and offices and languished for lack of funds.
Then the women’s suffragist organization Sorosis spearheaded the effort to turn the neglected collection into a New York State chartered public library by 1900.
The next leap was a $10,000 donation (later raised to $15,000) from steel magnate and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The money funded the construction of a neo-classical building on Lake Street that brought state-of-the-art library service to the people of Patchogue.
However, by the end of the 20th century the public library had moved down the block, Briarcliff College had come and gone, and the Carnegie building sat empty, soon endangered by looming development.
The story has a happy ending as the building now sits at the corner of West Main Street and West Avenue serving as a vibrant teen center and a museum for the Greater Patchogue Historical Society.
How did that happen? Patchogue librarians Jessi Bouchelle and Gary Lutz, along with the Historical Society’s Steve Lucas, tell the tale in the latest episode of the Long Island History Project podcast.
You can listen to the episode here.
The Long Island History Project is an independent podcast featuring stories and interviews with people passionate about Long Island history. It is hosted by academic librarian Chris Kretz.
Learn more about libraries in New York State.
Illustration: Patchogue Carnegie Library Children’s Room, 1950s (Celia M Hastings Local History Room).
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