Old Carnegie Library building celebrates its 100th birthday

The Mountain Home Museum celebrated the 100-year ground breaking anniversary of the Carnegie Public Library Building on Monday afternoon.

The building now houses the Mountain Home Museum.

The special guest speaker for "A Walk Into History," was the son of one of the original architects of the Carnegie Library, Charles Hummell.

Hummell was joined by Mountain Home Mayor Tom Rist as well as several residents in support of a piece of Mountain Home history.

Hummell spoke to the audience first about Carnegie's life as a rags-to riches story and how he gave his fortune to worthy charities. Carnegie's generosity became the model for the Rockefellers and the recently retired CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates.

Carnegie showed his influence in the ten libraries that were built in Idaho with the assistance of Carnegie grants -- Boise in 1904, Mountain Home in 1908 and others in Twin Falls, Pocatello, Payette, Nampa, Caldwell, Lewiston and Moscow. According to Hummell, the Mountain Home library was built only 19 years after the Carnegie grants were started in the United States and is older than seven of the other eight that were built.

"Many of them, like yours, were built because of the determination of progressive and far-sighted women in the era of the fight for women's suffrage and for temperance and with the support of their civic clubs," said Hummell of the library's development.

Hummell said the architectural style of the library is what has become known as Western Colonial.

"Because of the interest in historic preservation, local history and the appropriate re-use of older buildings your fine old library building lives on thanks to the Mountain Home Historical Society," said Hummell.

In addition to the library, Tourtellotte and Hummell were the architects for seven other buildings in Mountain Home between 1905 and 1941 and for several other projects since WWII.

Following Hummell's speech, Rist congratulated all of the parties past and present who have left their legacy with the library.

"We should take a moment to appreciate everything we love about this little town, including this fine building," said Rist.

Also in attendance, were Donna Carnahan and Rowena Hawley giving their takes on the progression and history of women's civic clubs in the community.

Following the event, Museum director Nancy Marshall welcomed the guests to tour the library exhibit at the museum and to enjoy the ice cream social.

Children from Optimist Ag Youth handed out vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, rocky road and mint chocolate chip cones to the guests, helping them beat the heat. The social was sponsored by Moxie Java and the United Dairymen Association.

On display during the event was a 1924 Model T owned by Bill Sullivan and a 1909 "family buggy" owned by Rae Ann and Michael Stoecker.

Also in attendance for the event were Boy Scouts from Troop 57 who helped raise the Stars and Stripes at the new flagpole in front of the museum, Carolyn Strom who sang the "Star Spangled Banner," and the Mountain Home High School Marching Band, under the direction of Jerry Tippetts, which performed "America The Beautiful."

"This is a real special moment for the community's history. It was extra special to see Mr. Hummel, I was pleased to be a part of the celebration," said Rist following the event.

"I was pleased about the weather and the people who turned out for the event, especially all the different generations who got to experience this historic celebration," said Marshall.

"I was very pleased to be asked. It's wonderful. I'm sure the individuals who designed the building would be happy with how well the building was constructed and how well the building has been preserved," said Hummell.

See additional photos in the photo gallery