Everett Carnegie Library

The Everett Carnegie Library is a building along Oakes Avenue in Washington State, showcasing Second Renaissance Revival architecture with symmetrical design and classical details. The structure dominates its street frontage with balanced proportions and now operates as the Carnegie Resource Center.

Andrew Carnegie funded the building with a grant in 1904, and it opened in 1905 as a library with books for the community. After serving the public for decades, it closed as a library in 1935 and took on different roles afterward.

The building represents the early 20th-century movement to establish public libraries across America, opening books and learning to people from all backgrounds. Today, it serves as a community resource center, showing how public spaces adapt to meet changing needs.

The building sits on Oakes Avenue and is straightforward to locate and reach. Keep in mind that it operates as a social services center rather than a library today.

Between 1935 and 1980, the building housed a funeral home, serving a completely different purpose than its creators imagined. This stint as a mortuary marked an unusual chapter before the building found its present role.