History of the Carnegie Library
This Queen Street landmark was constructed as part of the Andrew Carnegie philanthropy grant program that helped finance 125 free libraries in Canada between 1903 and 1924. It was the second branch in Toronto financed by Carnegie, following Yorkville.
Listed as one of the city’s heritage properties, the library was designed by city architect Robert McCallum. The library was built to serve the residents in the West End and opened its doors in 1909 as the Queen Lisgar Branch Libary. It served the community for 55 years until in 1964 when it was replaced by a new Parkdale Library. The building is currently occupied by Toronto Public Health.
Click here to read more about the history of Toronto’s Carnegie libraries.