Carnegie Free Library

Huthwaite owes its public library to the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. Dating construction in 1912, his name is recognised on the front title stone, plus a plaque inside the entrance presenting fullest credits.

Urban District Council of Huthwaite
PUBLIC LIBRARY
The building was presented to the Town of Huthwaite by
ANDREW CARNEGIE ESQUIRE.
and was opened on the 12th day of April 1913, by
Ald ROBERT MELLORS C.C.
Councillors, W Bostock J.P., G Adlington, J Blood, M Betts, C H Coupe C.C., G Farnsworth, J Fox, T Goodall, E Gower, H Holt, E H Lowe, B Smith, A Taylor, M Taylor, F Weston
Architect: E W Bostock, Huthwaite. Builders: Vallance & Blythe, Mansfield. Clerk to the Council: E B Hibbert Esq, Solicitor, Mansfield.

When prominently sited, the large corner plot chosen was maybe deemed at time the best central location for also suiting their Urban council offices. Nevertheless, resident John Boot recalled his grandmothers grief long after, as one being served a compulsory purchase for her old farm house which did stand rear.

EWBLIBRARY Earliest possible picture is a fine drawing presented by Mr John Knight who now lives in Farnsborough, Hampshire. From an influential ancestry his great uncle named Ernest W Bostock was the architect who penned this proposed design titled Carnegies Huthwaite Free Library. Family letters disclosed Ernest also used this example of his abilities upon entering WWI, seeking and awarded a Royal Engineers commission.

Photographs below help view comparison spanning its 90 years service. Adjacent are the past Urban council offices, before residentially lining Columbia Street. The library more prominently stands alone upon our main village highway. Unforeseeing modern traffic it narrows the busier road obscuring motorists of the cornering junction, but offers parking.

Storage rooms beneath the library have witnessed various successive uses. My parents generation recall curiously named Clam'n Bost dances long before youthful Undercroft activities. Its been left unused after drug fueled vandalism finally drove out decades of dedicated Huthwaite Prize Band practice sessions.

Escapism for some was actually found freely stocked inside the library. Night Scene Schooling taught basic reading, but few individually claimed books enjoyable. As a young teenager inspired by Biggles adventures however, it stood austere. A strict victorian superiority adopted by most librarians did little for encouraging visits.

Residents recalled this newly built facility drew some public attention by witnessing here the marvels of new electric lighting. Keeping pace with electronic equipment introduced a few additional services, also seeing out minor interior layout changes.

Returning in my pursuit for local research, the staff certainly proved helpful. Despite a far warmer atmosphere the building did remain structurally unaltered. But heading towards 90th aniversary clearly showed a weathered tiredness from such lofty exposure too the elements. And with County Council plans for installing public internet access, a major renovation became demanded.