Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Dover Board members visit Carnegie Historical Museum
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Members of the Dover Historical Society Board visited the Carnegie Museum in Fairfield during their October meeting. The visit was beneficial to everyone as well as enjoyable. Jake Schmidt, Curator of the Carnegie Museum, conducted the tour. His rapid-fire descriptions are full of information. He welcomes questions as he proudly talks about future plans to restore the library section of the museum/
The introduction on the Museum’s website describes the importance of the building and its contents best. “Fairfield’s Carnegie Museum was the first Carnegie library west of the Mississippi River endowed by Andrew Carnegie. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.” Sen. James Falconer Wilson was a friend of Andrew Carnegie. Fairfield needed a permanent home for its public library. In 1891 the friends made an agreement. The building opened in 1892 and the funding model used became the one used for 2800 additional libraries around the world. In 1896, the museum stopped charging admission.
Currently the museum occupies the third floor. The second floor, the original library and reading room, is now occupied by offices and classrooms for Indian Hills Community College. The first floor Herring Gallery has been expanded to contain Fairfield history. Plans currently include returning the second floor to its former glory. Also the windows have been replaced and are now historically accurate.
Dover Board members spent some time after the tour. Revisiting parts of the museum and thinking of ideas that might work at home. All were impressed by the Smithsonian acquisitions. Most had no idea of the prominent part Fairfield played in the manufacturing history of Iowa. The Board highly recommends that everyone take the time to visit this historic landmark.
Reminder: The November Dover Board meeting will be held Nov. 22 due to Thanksgiving. Meet at 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon at Dover. This is an important meeting as final plans for the Holiday Stroll will be discussed.
