Between 1886 and 1919, steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid over $40-million to build new libraries in the U.S. In 1915, Tampa accepted his $50,000 grant to construct this building. It was one of 10 Florida libraries to receive a Carnegie grant. This, Tampa’s second public library, opened in 1917 at 102 E. Seventh Ave. in Tampa Heights and remained the main library for the city until 1968, when the John F. Germany Library opened downtown. Built in a neoclassical style, the blonde bricks are similar to the buildings in its neighborhood on North Franklin St., nicknamed Yellow Brick Row.

Until it moved, the library was used for study, research, and events, hosting public speakers and art exhibitions. The structure was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and is now known as the Old Free Public Library. It was remodeled by the City of Tampa in 1999 when the city agreed to pay for a $2.2 million renovation and enter a 25-year lease agreement with Tampa Bay Economic Development Corporation. Beginning in 1999, three agencies have shared the space: The Division of Neighborhood Improvement, the Women & Minority Business Enterprise Program, and the Office of Human Rights and Community Service

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved