About Cordell Carnegie Public Library
Historic Architecture, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Buildings And Structures
The Cordell Carnegie Public Library is a historic Carnegie library located at 105 E. First St. in New Cordell, Oklahoma. The library was built in 1911 through a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie foundation; New Cordell's Commercial Club, which had opened a reading room the previous year, solicited the grant. Architect A. A. Crowell designed the library in the Mission Revival style; several of its elements reflect the emerging Spanish Colonial Revival style. The building's curved parapet walls, exposed rafters, and original red tile roof are all characteristic Mission Revival elements; its segmental arches, sunburst moldings, and ornamental ironwork resemble Spanish Colonial Revival work. The library was the only one in Washita County until the 1960s; it also served as a community center and was regularly used by local schools. In 1982, a new library opened in New Cordell, and the Carnegie Library building became the Washita County Historical Museum.
