Portsmouth Public Library

Handwritten on reverse: "Public Library. Portsmouth." Portsmouth's traces of a public library began in 1831 when a small library opened at the corner of Market and Front Streets. However, the library closed a short time later. It wasn't until 1879 when the Portsmouth City Schools Board of Education donated a building at the corner of Fifth and Court to provide these services. In 1902 Andrew Carnegie donated $50,000 to construct a new library with the solicitation of Henry Lorberg. The new library, designed by architects Richards, McCarty and Bulford, opened on February 1, 1906 at 1220 Gallia Street and is still used to this day. Much of the architecture stays true to the numerous Carnegie libraries even though the library received renovations and extensions in 1971 and 1995 by the architectural firm of Donaldson, Wittenmeyer and Associates and Myers, NBD. Four Ionic columns at the entrance, holding a pediment which reads "Public Library"