Linden Hills Branch Library

About this property

Linden Hills Library is a public library in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The branch library originally opened in 1911 on the first floor of the Lake Harriet Commercial Club building. In 1931, under the leadership of Minneapolis Public Library's chief librarian Gratia Countryman, the library moved into its own building on 2900 West 43rd Street. Area resident Joseph Victor Vanderbilt designed the library in the Tudor Revival style. Head librarian Edith Frost served for over thirty years. The library has also hosted community groups such as children's clubs, neighborhood groups, and women's organizations. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and renovated in 2002. The building has leaded glass windows, including a panel above the entrance that pays tribute to past generations and their legacy for the future. It also has outdoor terraces and two historic fireplaces. These features make it a favorite among neighborhood residents. In 1911 the Linden Hills Community Library opened on the ground floor of the Lake Harriet Commercial Club Building at 2720 43rd Street West. Previously, there had been a small deposit collection housed in a neighborhood store since 1905. In October 1911 the deposit collection was moved to the first floor of the Commercial Club and the Library Board designated Linden Hills a branch library and approved the purchase of furnishings and 1,000 new books. A three-year lease was signed at $1,000 a year. In 1923 the Commercial Club raised the lease to $1,200 a year and the Library Board considered either renting or purchasing the old telephone building nearby but finally decided to stay. In March 1928 the Library Board was notified after its lease expired in the fall, the first floor space would be leased to the U.S. Post Office (which stayed until 1964). Circulation was brisk until 1928 when the library lost its lease on the ground floor and moved upstairs. Elderly patrons had trouble getting upstairs to the new location. "A very touching story was told of seeing an old lady looking into the old room," wrote one of the branch's librarians. "She was shown the removal sign, for she was deaf, shook her head and moved away." The new upstairs location of the library was the reason for the push for a new library. The library board asked the Board of Estimate and Taxation for $50,000 for a new branch building. Linden Hills residents appeared at a city meeting, but the request was turned down. Not until April 1930, after a $50,000 bond issue was passed, did Linden Hills get its own branch building. The original site chosen in 1928 at Lake Harriet Boulevard and 43rd Street was no longer available so a new location was purchased for $6,000 in June 1930. The city purchased three lots on what used to be an old Indian trail to Minnetonka (in 1930 the lots were being used as a baseball field) owned by the Townsend family. Located at 2900 West 43rd Street, the colonial-style brick edifice opened on February 5, 1931. It had a stock of 10,000 books. Linden Hills resident Joseph V. Vanderbilt's firm of Bard and Vanderbilt designed the building. Pike and Cook was the contractor on the project. The basement included the children's library, staff room and kitchen. The main floor featured the adult library and a sun parlor. The building cost approximately $42,000. The building was opened just before drastic Depression-era budget cuts hit Minneapolis Public Library. In reaction to the budget cuts, Linden Hills Library hours were 9–9 pm Mondays, 9–6 pm Tuesday through Friday and 9–1 pm on Saturdays in June 1931. Linden Hills Community Library was the last newly constructed library until Nokomis library opened in 1968.

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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.

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