Turning the Page on Yonkers Carnegie Public Library

When the Carnegie Public Library in Yonkers was demolished in 1982, the city mourned the loss of a treasured building that stood as a wellspring of knowledge and inspiration. The controversial decision to tear down the historic structure to make way for a road pains some in the community to this day. Yet, despite the controversy surrounding its destruction, the library's legacy of learning persists as residents remember and embrace it as a benchmark of the Yonkers Public Library System.

The first Yonkers Public Library emerged when five local public school libraries combined in 1883. In the years following, interest in the library grew, and the small branch received consideration for its expansion. Former Mayor Leslie Sutherland petitioned along with educator Charles E. Gorton and writer John Kendrick Bangs to receive a donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to build a new public library.

Constructing a Sacred Trust

At the end of the nineteenth century, Carnegie began donating massive amounts of his fortune to build grand libraries. An early industrialist and investor in steel, his net worth eventually grew to more than $370 billion in today's dollars. As one of the richest people in history, he believed it was his responsibility to use his wealth to enrich others. His goal was to educate and empower anyone willing to learn through a network of libraries “ free to the people .” In sharing his passion for learning, Carnegie was clear about his intentions.

Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community […] I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people because they give nothing for nothing. They only help those who help themselves.

Andrew Carnegie

After a rigorous application process consisting of formal plans for location, design, staffing, and long-term maintenance, a $50,000 grant was approved in March 1901. As part of the proposal, Mayor Sutherland had to show how the city's vision for community enrichment matched Carnegie's and contribute $5,000 to the library's annual upkeep.

Guidepost of Yonkers

A site for the library was chosen in Yonkers' Washington Park, on the corner of Nepperhan Avenue and South Broadway. During construction, the library's 17,000 volumes of books were held in nearby Nisbet Mansion. Designed by local architects Edwin A. Quick & Son and built by Lynch and Larkin, the Carnegie Library building opened its doors to the public on July 9, 1904. The yellow-brick structure stood as an example of the Beaux Arts style and held its collection over two stories. Above the main floor windows were arched panels featuring colorful decorative murals. While underfoot, the library's expansive mosaic floors laid intricate geometric patterns. With a focus on serving as a gathering place of learning, the circular lobby was open-concept. This allowed easy access to a selection of books and periodicals.

The Carnegie Library singularly served Yonkers until 1928 when the Crestwood Library became the first official expansion branch in the city. In 1936, the Armour Villa Park branch opened, followed by Sprain Brook in 1962—renamed the Grinton I. Will branch in 1973. For more than 80 years, the library cherished by the community. However, a civil infrastructure plan to expand Nepperhan Avenue led to the building's closure in 1972. The main branch moved temporarily into the former Genung's Department Store in Getty Square .

Conservation Efforts and Petition

While the exact details and motivations behind the library's demolition remain still largely unknown, the community made efforts to prevent the building's demise. A 1982 campaign to save the library gathered 5,000 signatures. Supported by the Westchester Preservation League and preservationists Henry J. Mazzeo Jr. and Michael P. Rebic, community members urged Yonkers City Council to consider the library's cultural and historical significance. Ultimately, the building was torn down in May 1982.

Grinton I. Will, director of the Yonkers Public Library for 40 years, spoke on the demolition of the Carnegie Library a year after it fell. He described the efforts to preserve the building, citing its historical significance to the Yonkers community:

I tried to get a group downtown interested in the old building to go to Albany together to speak out for the library being made an historic landmark, but even by then, it was probably too late because when the state makes up its mind, you've got to be awfully strong to make a change.

Today, Yonkers Public Library operates three branches, Grinton I. Will Library, Riverfront Library, and Crestwood Library. Serving over 500,000 visitors annually, the library continues to encourage learning, gathering, and community building. These branches thus continue the mission just as the Carnegie Public Library did for nearly 80 years.

If you're interested in learning more about this library, please consider reading “The Death of a Library” by Patricia Vaccarino which can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here .