About this property
The Carnegie Library of Washington D.C. (also known as Central Public Library; referred to as Apple Carnegie Library in official communications by Apple), is situated in Mount Vernon Square, Washington, D.C. It was the city's first of four Carnegie libraries and its first desegregated public building. Around 1900, Brainard Warner, a prominent local banker and developer, was serving as vice president of the Washington Public Library board of trustees when he "seized on a chance meeting with Andrew Carnegie" to ask him to fund public libraries in the city. Carnegie ultimately funded four, starting with this one. It was designed by the New York firm of Ackerman & Ross in the Beaux-Arts style. and dedicated on January 7, 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as "Central Public Library", in 1969. It was used as the central public library for Washington, D.C. for almost 70 years before it became overcrowded. The central library was then moved to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. After being shut down for ten years, the central library was renovated as part of University of the District of Columbia. In 1999, it became the headquarters for the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. The City Museum of Washington opened in the library in May 2003, but closed less than two years later. In 2014, Events DC twice sought to move the International Spy Museum into the library, but failed to win historic preservation approval. In September 2016, Apple Inc. proposed renovating the library into D.C.'s second Apple Store location. In December 2016, Events DC announced an agreement with the company for conversion of the space into a new store designed by Foster and Partners. The building was renamed the Apple Carnegie Library, and the Apple Store within opened on May 11, 2019. Apple hosts free daily sessions focused on photography, filmmaking, music creation, coding, design and more. On October 9, 2019, the first episode of Oprah's Book Club, a television series produced by Apple, was filmed with a live audience in the library. The episode premiered on November 1 of the same year. The building also now houses the DC History Center on the second floor, and the Carnegie Gallery (featuring historic photographs and documents about the origins and history of the building) in the basement.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Central Public Library (Additional Documentation)
This page lists Central Public Library (Additional Documentation). A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Historic Sites
Questions about this property
When was Central Public Library (Additional Documentation) listed on the National Register?
Central Public Library (Additional Documentation) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1969.
What type of historic resource is Central Public Library (Additional Documentation)?
Central Public Library (Additional Documentation) is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Central Public Library (Additional Documentation)?
The period of significance for Central Public Library (Additional Documentation) is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1894.
Can I research the history near Central Public Library (Additional Documentation)?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Central Public Library (Additional Documentation) will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in District of Columbia County
Historic places, battles, and census history across District of Columbia County.
Explore District of ColumbiaCounty ›More historic places in District of Columbia
Browse all historic places in District of Columbia.
View District of Columbiahistoric sites ›District of Columbia history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
District of Columbiahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Central Public Library (Additional Documentation) will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.