Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of Kentucky
Divided from Tennessee Public Libraries in June, 2025.
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Ashland
Built in 1935 with the help of the WPA. A 1959 addition was built, and in 1981, this section was demolished.
E.C. Kropp linen finish postcard, mailed in 1943.
Augusta (Knoedler Memorial Library)
Franklin (Goodnight Memorial Library & Auditorium)
(L) 1937 Curt Teich 'C.T. Blue Sky' card.
(R) Chrome postcard: building is showing a little wear.
I had a suspicion that this also was a WPA project: I was right. It was planned, however, by Mrs. Goodnight, who was widowed when a stray bullet hit her husband at a local carnival in 1913. She, in turn, passed in 1935.
According to the Library's history page, all its incorporated functions are still in use.
Glasgow (Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library)
A lot of strange buildings have been converted to libraries over the years, but this is the first time I've heard of a donated apartment building (and later, a garage) serving the purpose. This unusual arrangement ended in 2009 with a new building. The new one looks like a nursing home instead.
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The 1946 linen finish Curt Teich postcard was published soon after the building shown's opening.
Hazard (Perry County Public Library)
Google Street View shows a huge new (2012) building. Whether this attractive building is incorporated, I know not.
Dexter Press postcard can only be dated as post-1962.
Madisonville
Curt Teich postcard printed shortly after the Library opened in 1926.
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The library is a non-taxing authority library, yet managed to glean a new location in 2012. It's not entirely certain if this listed building survives.
Mayfield (Mayfield-Graves County Library)
This building reverted to the Annie Gardner Foundation.
Chrome postcard for Thompson's Community Service.
Nicholasville (Withers Library)
Kraemer Art Co. postcard, mailed in
1908.
Nicholasville, KY has a deep tie with Bloomington, IL.
Their Libraries were bequeathed by a member of the Withers family. This building, at the intersection of Maple & First Street, had a first floor room furnished to house the collection. There is nothing left at this location which strongly resembles this image. However, there is a red brick building without the multiple stairs and with a wing and a second floor porch which
could be it.
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In 1906, the Library moved to more appropriate quarters, and in 1975, a purpose-built library building was furnished, The Withers-Jessamine County Public Library.
The newest iteration is the Jessamine County Public Library.
Paducah (Paducah Area Public Library)
Paducah is now served by the McCracken County Public Library.
Replaced the Carnegie library, which burned due to a faulty Christmas light in 1964.
This card shows the proposed replacement building, never mentioning its necessity. According to the card, it had 33,836 square feet, excluding the basement.
The current building doesn't resemble the St. Louis Color Postcard Co. card image.
Princeton (George Coon Public Library)
The library's web site seems rather rudimentary. It does, however, show a tasteful addition to the original building.
1929 Curt Teich 'American Art Black and White' postcard.