Aitkin Carnegie Library

Aitkin Carnegie Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	121 2nd St., NW Aitkin, Minnesota
Coordinates
Built	1911
Architect	Claude & Starck
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Aitkin County MRA
NRHP reference No.	82002924
Added to NRHP	April 16, 1982

Aitkin Carnegie Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	121 2nd St. NW, Aitkin, Minnesota
Built	1911
Architect	Claude & Starck
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Aitkin County MRA
NRHP reference No.	82002924
Added to NRHP	April 16, 1982

The Aitkin Carnegie Library is a historic Carnegie library building located at 121 Second Street NW in Aitkin, Minnesota, United States. Designed by the architectural firm Claude & Starck in the Classical Revival style, it was completed in 1911 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it serves as the Jaques Art Center.

History

The city of Aitkin first organized a free public library in 1904, initially housing its collection in the village council chamber. On April 23, 1908, Aitkin secured a $6,500 grant from the Carnegie Foundation to build a permanent library structure. Plans were drawn by Claude & Starck, a firm known for library designs in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The local contractor N. J. Holden was awarded the construction bid. The library was completed and dedicated in 1911. The Carnegie grant terms required the community to provide and maintain the site, and to commit local taxation (approximately 10 % of the grant) for ongoing operational support.

In 1982, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its architectural integrity and its role in the intellectual and cultural development of Aitkin.

In 1995, local citizens purchased the building (for the symbolic sum of $1) to house a center for the preservation and exhibition of the work of Aitkin County wildlife artist **Francis Lee Jaques**. A renovation completed in 2004 added an elevator, the Jaques Gallery, and a classroom, while preserving historic features.

Architecture & Description

The building is a one-story structure set on an elevated basement, built of buff-colored brick on a concrete foundation. It is covered by a low-pitched hipped, red tile roof and features decorative hip knobs.

The symmetrical façade includes a central pedimented portico with recessed entrance, supported by columns, flanked by windows. Windows are grouped in sets of three double-hung units; side elevations mirror that pattern, and a single double-hung window is placed at the rear.

Inside, the original finishes included Flemish oak shelving, casings, moldings, furniture, and a central librarian’s desk. The basement originally contained a meeting room, restrooms, and mechanical space.

Jaques Art Center

Since its conversion, the building operates as the **Jaques Art Center**, a nonprofit arts and education venue. It hosts rotating exhibits (approximately every 8 weeks) and maintains the largest public collection of Francis Lee Jaques works outside the Bell Museum in Minnesota. A gift shop in the center continues the tradition of offering a book section, echoing its original library purpose.

External links

• Jaques Art Center