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Cleo Rogers Memorial Library
The Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, also known as the Main Library, is the flagship library of the Bartholomew County Public Library system in Bartholomew County, Indiana, US. It includes a branch in Hope, another branch under construction at the North Christian Church in Columbus, and a bookmobile that serves the county. The building was designed by I. M. Pei & Partners and constructed by Dunlap & Company, completed in 1969, and dedicated in 1971. It is notable for its design of red brick with concrete details and its Library Plaza, an urban space punctuated by the sculpture "Large Arch" by Henry Moore. It is named for Cleo Rogers (1905–1964) who was the county librarian for 28 years and assistant librarian for nine years.
In 1899 a library in the county first began occupying two rooms inside the original Columbus City Hall at the southwest corner of Fifth and Franklin Streets. The library's immediate popularity led the community to request funds from the well-known philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, who was widely known for financing the construction of libraries throughout the United States.
While Columbus has always contained the main branch of the Bartholomew County system, a branch has existed in Hope, Indiana in various locations at the same time. In 1966 a rented space was acquired on the town square and in 1998 a dedicated branch was opened that was designed by Deborah Berke & Partners Architects.
The first library in Bartholomew County stood on the corner of what was then Fifth and Mechanics Street (Mechanics was later renamed to Lafayette Avenue). This plot of land was donated to the county by Columbus resident Joseph I. Irwin. The original building was designed by John W. Gaddis of Vincennes, Indiana and dedicated on June 1, 1903. The construction cost was $19,200 with $15,000 coming from a donation from Andrew Carnegie and the remaining $4,200 obtained from taxation. This library was then known as the "Columbus Public Library," but after 1923 became known as the "Columbus-Bartholomew County Library" with service to the entire county.
By the late 1950s the needs of the county had outgrown the first building and required a larger library. The project was funded by a $1 million bond and donations from the community, including an $800,000 grant from Cummins Engine Foundation. However, this project was not directly part of the Cummins Foundation Architectural Program.
From the beginning, the intention of the library and the plaza was to transform this part of the city so that it would positively affect the surrounding area and encourage residents to stay downtown. The completion of this project also meant the demolition of the old library building and the closure of Lafayette Avenue between fifth and sixth.
By the early 1960s a number of modern buildings by young architects had been built in Columbus through the Cummins Foundation Architectural Program, however this building was not one of those projects. The Bartholomew County Library Association Board decided on their own to work with Pei.
When Pei was offered the opportunity to build the library, he seized it in order to create a project that would transform the downtown area with the addition of a civic plaza in front of the library. The design and placement of the library, plaza, and sculpture directly relate to and recognize the design of First Christian Church (designed by Eliel Saarinen and completed in 1942), and the Irwin House, (designed by Henry Ayling Phillips, and completed in 1910). Pei felt that the project "should occupy a space which would be quiet yet dignified; that it be easily accessible to the great majority of people, both young and old; that is location create an area of urban space, and that it take into consideration the future growth of the community and its character."
Cleo Rogers Memorial Library
The Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, also known as the Main Library, is the flagship library of the Bartholomew County Public Library system in Bartholomew County, Indiana, US. It includes a branch in Hope, another branch under construction at the North Christian Church in Columbus, and a bookmobile that serves the county. The building was designed by I. M. Pei & Partners and constructed by Dunlap & Company, completed in 1969, and dedicated in 1971. It is notable for its design of red brick with concrete details and its Library Plaza, an urban space punctuated by the sculpture "Large Arch" by Henry Moore. It is named for Cleo Rogers (1905–1964) who was the county librarian for 28 years and assistant librarian for nine years.
In 1899 a library in the county first began occupying two rooms inside the original Columbus City Hall at the southwest corner of Fifth and Franklin Streets. The library's immediate popularity led the community to request funds from the well-known philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, who was widely known for financing the construction of libraries throughout the United States.
While Columbus has always contained the main branch of the Bartholomew County system, a branch has existed in Hope, Indiana in various locations at the same time. In 1966 a rented space was acquired on the town square and in 1998 a dedicated branch was opened that was designed by Deborah Berke & Partners Architects.
The first library in Bartholomew County stood on the corner of what was then Fifth and Mechanics Street (Mechanics was later renamed to Lafayette Avenue). This plot of land was donated to the county by Columbus resident Joseph I. Irwin. The original building was designed by John W. Gaddis of Vincennes, Indiana and dedicated on June 1, 1903. The construction cost was $19,200 with $15,000 coming from a donation from Andrew Carnegie and the remaining $4,200 obtained from taxation. This library was then known as the "Columbus Public Library," but after 1923 became known as the "Columbus-Bartholomew County Library" with service to the entire county.
By the late 1950s the needs of the county had outgrown the first building and required a larger library. The project was funded by a $1 million bond and donations from the community, including an $800,000 grant from Cummins Engine Foundation. However, this project was not directly part of the Cummins Foundation Architectural Program.
From the beginning, the intention of the library and the plaza was to transform this part of the city so that it would positively affect the surrounding area and encourage residents to stay downtown. The completion of this project also meant the demolition of the old library building and the closure of Lafayette Avenue between fifth and sixth.
By the early 1960s a number of modern buildings by young architects had been built in Columbus through the Cummins Foundation Architectural Program, however this building was not one of those projects. The Bartholomew County Library Association Board decided on their own to work with Pei.
When Pei was offered the opportunity to build the library, he seized it in order to create a project that would transform the downtown area with the addition of a civic plaza in front of the library. The design and placement of the library, plaza, and sculpture directly relate to and recognize the design of First Christian Church (designed by Eliel Saarinen and completed in 1942), and the Irwin House, (designed by Henry Ayling Phillips, and completed in 1910). Pei felt that the project "should occupy a space which would be quiet yet dignified; that it be easily accessible to the great majority of people, both young and old; that is location create an area of urban space, and that it take into consideration the future growth of the community and its character."
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