The Columbus Main Library opened on April 8, 1907, thanks to a $200,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie. In order to receive the gift, Carnegie required cities to provide a site, to house books and equipment, and to commit to 10% of the gift in annual appropriations. The gift was based on the city’s population at $2 per person. John Pugh, the city librarian, is credited with convincing Carnegie to invest in Columbus. Once Carnegie agreed to a brick library, city fathers changed their minds and wanted a marble library, sending Pugh packing back to Pittsburgh to up the request. Fearful that Carnegie would find the request excessive, Pugh found instead that the marble request showed Columbus really wanted a library that would stand the test of time.
Carnegie chose architect Albert Randolph Ross who also designed the Washington, DC Carnegie Library, as well as 21 other Carnegie Libraries across the country. In addition to a design that was “plain, dignified and pure in style”, the building’s exterior also needed to include the words “My treasures are within” according to Carnegie’s specifications.
The library was built on the former site of a mansion built by Noah Swayne, who had served on the United States Supreme Court and was one of 2 dissenters in the Dred Scott case. Designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style featuring Vermont marble and granite, the 418,800 square foot building had a major expansion and renovation that was completed in 1991.
In April 2015 the Main Library began a second round of renovations and re-opened on June 25th 2016. The renovation, designed by architects GUND Partnership and Schooley Caldwell Associates, updated the front plaza and created a new outdoor space connecting the library to Topiary Park. Updates also included a new reading room, technology improvements to serve the community’s needs, and an enhanced children’s area.