When library director Tonya Garcia first heard mysterious noises above the ceiling tiles of Long Branch’s main library in late 2017, she grabbed a ladder to investigate.
She didn’t find the source, which turned out to be a mother and four baby raccoons found and rescued months later. But, Garcia’s search above the ceiling tiles turned up another fascinating discovery: hidden century-old Carnegie columns and stained glass window archways.
“I said we have to renovate and restore this,” Garcia recalled. “We have to bring this back to its Carnegie majesty. It’s gorgeous.”
Six years later, the Monmouth County library is in the middle of doing just that with a $6.2 million project to restore the building to some of its original grandeur.
The Long Branch library, located just a mile from the beach, is believed to be the last library constructed in the state with funds from famed steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegie Foundation, Garcia said.
Carnegie helped fund more than 1,600 libraries across the country between 1883 and 1929, as well as 785 libraries in other countries. He donated more than $60 million for the projects.
In New Jersey, Carnegie provided grants to build 36 libraries, including buildings that still stand in Elizabeth, Perth Amboy, Kearny, Atlantic City and other communities, New Jersey Monthly reported. Some have been restored to their original designs after being covered up, while other Carnegie libraries have been demolished or repurposed for other uses, the magazine reported.
Long Branch’s library is undergoing a significant renovation, officials said.
The project will upgrade the central systems, including heating, cooling, electrical work and the fire alarm, while also restoring some of the original design as a Carnegie library, Garcia said.
There will be arched glass entryway windows and indoor columns, some of which are original. Windows will be restored and some new spaces, including a local history room,…
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