What Is the Deadwood Carnegie Public Library?
Part of the Deadwood Historic District, this was Deadwood’s first public library!
What Makes It Historical?
In 1903, two Deadwood women’s groups, the Round Table Club (led by Miss Clara Coe) and the Deadwood Women’s Club, banded together to bring the city commission and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, to the table in order to develop the town’s first public library! This was part of Mr. Carnegie’s massive library sponsorship that ran from 1883 until 1929 and ultimately gave the country 2,509 public libraries! Mr. Carnegie offered $15,000 to build one in Deadwood, and on March 28, 1904, the designs by architect, Charles A. Randall, went to construction by contractors, Mullen & Munn. It took 19 months to build this Greek revival library, which opened to great fanfare and a speech by Mayor Edward McDonald on November 8, 1905! It’s still serving Deadwood and greater Lawrence County today!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with Deadwood History!
- Donate to Deadwood History!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
435 Williams Street
Deadwood, SD 57732
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM, Friday from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM, and Saturday from 12:00 PM until 4:00 PM!
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