Sage Library, Public library in Bay City, Michigan.
The Sage Library is a three-story brick building with a steeply pitched hipped roof, a multi-colored stone foundation, and decorative pink stone accents on its exterior. Inside, the structure contains space for an extensive collection of books arranged across multiple levels.
Henry W. Sage donated this French Chateauesque style library to the Bay City community, with its grand opening held on January 16, 1884. The building represents how wealthy citizens of that era invested in public access to books and learning.
The library preserves its original room layout, and visitors can walk through the same spaces that readers occupied more than a century ago. This arrangement shapes how people move through the building and experience the collection across its floors.
The building is located at 100 E. Midland Street and operates as part of the Bay County Library System. Visitors should note that the structure underwent major renovations in the early 1980s, which affected some of its interior features and functionality.
The building holds the distinction of being Michigan's oldest library still operating in its original structure. This fact underscores how long the building has served the community in its primary role.
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