Carnegie History Center

The Carnegie History Center is located in downtown Bryan.  The library has a fascinating history, and it's worth the visit just to experience the beautifully restored building.  Opened to the public in 1903, the library was the result of a grant offered by Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie.  Carnegie libraries can be found all over the world.  Bryan's Carnegie Library is the oldest existing Carnegie in Texas.

Stepping through the doors at the Carnegie History Center feels like you're stepping back in time.  Two hand-carved pine stairways flank the entryway.  The tongue and groove pine flooring, the decorative pressed metal ceiling and stairwells are all original to the building.  The library has two oak pub tables, a library table, an oak magazine rack, and several ladder-back chairs that are also original to the library.

 

 



After introducing myself to the librarian, my mother and I began looking around the first floor.  The first floor houses a lot of information and photographs about the history of Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley area.  In fact, I discovered some old high school yearbooks and found my mom's junior and senior pictures in SFA High School's Yearbooks (SFA is now a middle school in Bryan).  She doesn't own these books, so it was the first time I've ever seen her senior picture.  Turns out we looked a lot alike!  



My Mom's Senior Pic



My 10th Grade Picture















The second floor of the History Center stores many specialized genealogy resources.  Computers with internet access and microfilm readers are also available for use.  What better place to look up family history than in a library that holds so much history itself.