Historical Marker
Carnegie Library Building
Marker installed: 1981
Completed in 1904, this brick library building was funded by a personal contribution from the noted New York industrialist and benefactor Andrew S. Carnegie. Ben D. Lee, builder of the Bell County Courthouse, served as contractor.
Designed by the firm of Smith and Moore and made of bricks from a local kiln, the structure features elaborate detailing of the Beaux Arts classical style.
When the library opened in 1905, 1500 volumes were contributed by members of the Woman's Wednesday Club. Public library facilities were located here until 1975.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981.
Texas has been a major oil-producing state for over a century. The first big oil discovery in Texas was the Spindletop field near Beaumont in 1901, which set off a massive oil boom that transformed the state's economy and made Texas one of the wealthiest states in the country.