Philanthropy Delivers the Dream

On January 9, 1913, the Carnegie Corporation formally offered the Mooresville Public Library Board of Trustees a $10,000 grant to construct the town's new library building.  This offer was acknowledged on January 17, 1913, when Dr. C. L. Hallam, Secretary of the Library Board, sent the following letter, of which we have a photocopy.  (As always, please click the images to enlarge.)

Letter of Acknowledgement of $10,000 Carnegie Grant Offer

From Dr. C. L. Hallam, Library Board Secretary (Later President)

January 17, 1913

Legally speaking, Dr. Hallam's request for a $12,500 grant amount (rather than $10,000) would be construed as a counteroffer.  The Carnegie Corporation must have been disinclined to increase the sum, as the Library formally accepted the original $10,000 offer on May 4 & 6, 1915.

Library Board Formally Accepts $10,000 Carnegie Grant Offer

by Resolution (enacted May 4 & 6, 1915).

Why the two-year delay?  The Library Board minutes remain silent on this point, but one may make some reasonable inferences, based upon an understanding of how local Hoosier governmental spending was driven at the turn of the 20th century.  As part of the grant application process, the Library (and the Town of Mooresville, Indiana) were required to furnish statistics as to how much revenue the library tax levy, which was authorized in May, 1912, would generate for an "annual income" to the library. To make this determination, the town (and Brown Township) government needed to actually collect tax dollars and determine the sustainability of an annual budget from the town (and township) coffers. That meant at least two taxing years (1913-1914) were needed to accurately gauge, or trend, incoming tax revenues.  Once this data was compiled, construction began in earnest during 1915, following formal acceptance of Carnegie's offer.

While awaiting the tax revenue reports, the Library Board considered multiple construction bids and proposed contracts for furnishings, supplies, and other resources.  Considerable effort was expended to maximize the purchasing value of the $10,000 grant.  

Construction began in 1915 and proceeded rapidly.  By December 20, 1915, the work was nearly completed.  Library Board Secretary D. B. Johnson applied to the Carnegie Treasurer to secure the final $2,000 installment of the $10,000 grant.  The Library was formally dedicated a month later.

Consider that $10,000 in 1915 dollars built an entire library for the citizens of Mooresville and Brown Township.  Roughly speaking, how much would that sum purchase in today's dollars for our library?  Find out by clicking here.  [Thanks, Indiana State Library, for furnishing our Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) grant to make that purchase for the MPL Indiana Room.]

In our next installment, we'll attend the library dedication ceremony.  Well, sort of.

Andy Gives the Thumbs Up

The first Mooresville Public Library (MPL) board of trustees held its inaugural meeting on June 21, 1912.  The first board members were:  Dr. C. L. Hallam and Dr. W. L. Thompson (appointed by the Mooresville Town Trustees); Mrs. W. H. Sage and D. B. Johnson (appointed by the School Board); and Mrs. W. F. Hadley, Pearl Bradley, and H. C. Scearce (appointed by the Morgan County Circuit Court).  At its first meeting, the board elected Johnson president; Mrs. Sage, vice president; and Dr. Hallam, secretary.

Some of the first library board members also served

on the Mooresville School Board

(from the 1909 Mooresville High School Senior Annual [yearbook])

(click all photos to enlarge)

Dr. William L. Thompson (right), Mooresville, IN physician (ca. 1909)

(Photo by J. P. Calvert)

Dr. William L. Thompson (1920) (Photo by Manley Brown)

Both photos (above) were taken outside Dr. Thompson's offices

at 31 South Indiana Street in downtown Mooresville

One of the Library board's first actions was to recommend that Brown Township (Morgan County) citizens be invited to join the Town of Mooresville in supporting the Library in exchange for lending and use privileges.  G. R. Scruggs, Brown Township Trustee, was named ex officio to the Library board, and Mrs. W. H. Henderson served as Brown Township's Library board representative.

G. R. Scruggs (at age 86) (1940)

In 1920 the residents of Madison Township (Morgan County) joined Brown and Mooresville to support and use the Library, but fiscal constraints compelled Madison to withdraw from the arrangement in 1928.

Sarah Scott Edwards, Librarian

First Library Director

Mooresville Public Library

(March 1913-August 1913)

Sarah Scott Edwards Montage

At its next meeting, July 3, 1912, the Library board decided to request funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.  Would a stipend be forthcoming to construct the new library facility?  Well, it's sort of a trick question, since we know the Library was, in fact, constructed.  Andy gave the thumbs up (well, his foundation did, anyway), and so $10,000 was granted to the Library board to construct its new building at 30 West Main Street.  The Town Board had purchased the 80 ft.-by-153 ft. lot in April, 1913.  MPL's first librarian (i.e., library director) was Sarah Scott Edwards, who served from March, 1913 to August, 1913.

Helen Hadley Ward, Librarian

Second Library Director

Mooresville Public Library

(August 1913-February 1918)

Andrew Carnegie

American Industrialist & Philanthropist

His Foundation Built 2,509 Libraries (Between 1883-1929)

Helen Hadley Ward, the second librarian (i.e., library director) of Mooresville Public Library, oversaw planning and construction of the new facility.  T. L. Bookie, an Indianapolis architect, designed the structure, while construction contracts were awarded to Frank Marine and Charles Ferguson, local general contractors, and Sam Wade, another Mooresville resident, who installed heating, plumbing, and electric.  Other local businesses, such as F. E. Carlisle and Wilson & White, provided furnishings.

Sam Wade (1882-1968) at his plumbing shop

on East Main Street, Mooresville, IN

Next time we'll discover the layout of what was commonly known as the Mooresville "Carnegie" Library, which was dedicated on January 27, 1916.