Cornish Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cornish Library | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| 49°52.708′N 097°09.593′W / 49.878467°N 97.159883°W | |
| Location | 20 West Gate Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 2E1, Canada |
| Type | Public Library |
| Established | June 15, 1915[1] |
| Architect(s) | S. Frank Peters |
| Service area | Crescentwood, Rockwood, West Broadway |
| Branch of | Winnipeg Public Library |
| Other information | |
| Director | Rick Watkins, Branch Head |
| Website | https://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/branchpages/branch.aspx?cnsh |
The Cornish Library, is a branch of the Winnipeg Public Library, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Like the St. John's Library, the Cornish is one of two Carnegie libraries in the city. It is a Grade II listed building and a Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure. It was gazetted on January 15, 1993.[2] It is named in honour of Winnipeg's first mayor, Francis Evans Cornish.[3]
Designed by the architect S. Frank Peters, the plans had to be approved by Carnegie's personal secretary, James Bertram, to assure money was not wasted on exterior ornamentation at the expense of book shelves and furniture.[4] The library is located at 20 West Gate in Cornish Park[4] on a small piece of land at one of the entrances to Armstrong's Point, near the Maryland Bridge.[5] It replaced the Winnipeg Waterworks building.[3] It is situated on the eastern bank of the Assiniboine River with the library's west elevation facing the river.[6] The Cornish Baths, Winnipeg's first indoor pool,[7] were formerly located beside the Library.[3]
Construction by the National Construction Company of Winnipeg began in 1914. The library opened on June 15, 1915. The foundation was damaged by flooding in 1918 and it was repaired using a $7,000 Carnegie grant.[4]
The Library underwent a renovation in 2019-20[8] that included the addition of an all-glass reading area and improved accessibility from the main entrance. The renovation came in at $3.74 million, and the Library officially reopened July 29, 2021.[9]
