Adrian, MI received a grant from Andrew Carnegie for a public library building on Dec. 20, 1904. The initial grant was for $20,000 but was later increased to $27,500. The grand opening for the new building which was an elaborate castle-like structure took place in February 1909. The postcard of the Carnegie building and the large crowd in front of it which is shown above is interesting in that it was mailed on July 25, 1908 several months before the building officially opened. The crowd shown on the postcard may have gathered for a parade. Note the two people on the top of the building on the left side of the postcard. The message on the back of the postcard reads in part: "What do you think of the library? Quite a crowd downtown wasn't there?" The Adrian Public Library vacated the building in 1978 and moved into a former J.C. Penny store because of space needs. Quite a change in architecture. The Carnegie building is now on the National Register of Historical Places and is occupied by the Lenawee Historical Society Museum.
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