There's one library in the world that's built on an Indian mound and it's in Marietta, Ohio. Funded largely by Andrew Carnegie, it opened in 1918 and has served the neighborhood ever since.
It was originally constructed as one floor with a basement but they have remodeled a couple of times, adding a mezzanine to provide much needed space.
While building atop the Capitolium Mound was acceptable in the early twentieth century, laws have changed and they are now prohibited from building out from the original footprint. The librarian told me that this is not an option due to cost and that they will continue to make do with the current space.
The original oak woodwork is gorgeous. The space is compact but they have packed a lot into it. Plus, a cute little yellow house next door serves as an annex. Here's the Andrew Carnegie portrait required to hang in every Carnegie library.
Hey, if you donate that kind of money to libraries across the country, it's not asking too much to have your picture hang in them all!
It's so light and airy I wanted to sit and get lost in a good book.
This is a beautiful older neighborhood with tree lined streets and kids at play - a perfect setting for this great old Carnegie.
According to this Clio article, no human remains were found in the mound during excavation. So that's a relief. The mound was constructed by the Hopewell culture and dates to approximately 100 BCE. Another Indian mound in Marietta was preserved as part of an early cemetery that's a who's who of history. I'll tell you about that one sometime soon.
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