The Carnegie Library

The Memphis onTNE Red!

  • JOHN R. BALLEW
    JOHN R. BALLEW
  • The Carnegie Library
    The Carnegie Library
  • The Carnegie Library
    The Carnegie Library
  • The Carnegie Library
    The Carnegie Library
  • Photos Courtesy of the Collection of John R. Ballew
    Photos Courtesy of the Collection of John R. Ballew
  • The Carnegie Library
    The Carnegie Library

    The Carnegie Library was built in 1912. The Memphis Carnegie was one of 30 such institutions scattered across Texas. In 1911, a Scottish-born American philanthropist established the Carnegie Foundation, which supplied $56 million to build 1,700 libraries in the United States.

    When that philanthropy reached out to Memphis in 1912, the Memphis City Council adopted a resolution on May 10, 1912, whereb…