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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Anderson Carnegie Library

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SC Picture Project / Anderson County / Anderson Carnegie Library

From 1883 through 1929, 2,509 libraries were built and made available to the public through funds granted by the Carnegie Foundation. The organization was formed in 1883 by business magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and helped to establish libraries all over the world, including 1,689 in the United States. South Carolina established fourteen Carnegie libraries, five of which are still active. The Anderson County Arts Center in downtown Anderson was built as a Carnegie library in 1908 following the formation of the Anderson Library Association in 1900.

Anderson County Arts Center

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Prior to construction of the library, the Anderson Library Association met in City Hall. Members paid one dollar to belong to the society, and city council supported the project by granting $10 per month to the association. When the city received a grant of $17,500 from the Carnegie Foundation, it pledged to continue supporting the library with an annual appropriation of ten percent of the grant.

Anderson County Arts

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2010 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Jennie Erwin Library in Honea Path also was built as a Carnegie library in 1908, making Anderson County the only county in South Carolina to have two Carnegie libraries. While the Jennie Erwin Library remains active within the Anderson County Library system, this building became the Anderson County Arts Center in 1972, the same year the library moved to its current building on McDuffie Street. Today the library houses the Caroline Stringer Rainey Gallery, operated by the Anderson Arts Center.

The Anderson County Arts Center is listed in the National Register as part of the Anderson Downtown Historic District:

The Anderson Downtown Historic District is primarily significant as a well-preserved late nineteenth/early twentieth century commercial area. The district retains a typical town plan with a courthouse square in its center, as well as numerous good examples of Victorian, Romanesque Revival, and Beaux Arts commercial architecture. Anderson, incorporated 1833, is also significant for its role as a commercial, governmental, and cultural center for Anderson County. The Anderson Downtown Historic District is comprised of approximately 97 commercial structures, the County Courthouse, the Anderson City Hall, a Victorian fountain, and two historic monuments. The brick constructed structures date primarily from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and are located in the heart of Anderson’s central business district. The courthouse and surrounding square serve as the focal point of the historic district. Located southeast of this commercial district is the residential Anderson Historic District.

Plan Your Trip: Anderson Carnegie Library

Where is Anderson Carnegie Library located?
Address: 405 North Main Street, Anderson, SC 29625
GPS Coordinates: 34.506472,-82.650967
What else should I see?
Sullivan-King Mortuary 0 mile
Anderson Arts Center 0.1 mile
Chiquola Condominiums 0.3 mile
Anderson County Courthouse 0.4 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Anderson Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina Libraries
  • See other South Carolina National Register
    Anderson Carnegie Library Map

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    Anderson County - Old CourthouseAnderson County Courthouse Anderson University's Merritt Administration BuildingAnderson University Kennedy Street School in AndersonKennedy Street School Orr House in Anderson, SCMarshall Orr House Anderson Arts CenterAnderson Arts Center

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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