Carnegie Library & Streator Park Then & Now Part 1

Sometimes it’s a challenge to get a then-and-now photograph of a vintage postcard because of changes in the subject’s surroundings. That was certainly true with this 2007 project, as I discovered that getting my photographs would be no “walk in the park”!

It started with a postcard (at left) that I purchased on Ebay featuring a fountain in Streator Park in Lorain, Ohio. I’d never heard of Streator Park back then, but I recognized the building in the background as the Carnegie Library (the original Lorain Public Library).

I did a little research and learned that in 1902, the Lorain Public Library Association applied to the Andrew Carnegie Foundation for a grant to erect a public library building. To receive the grant, the city had to meet two conditions: agree to support the library financially and provide a suitable site for the building. The site that was chosen and ultimately approved was Streator Park and on May 20, 1904, the Carnegie Public Library was dedicated.

Since I already owned a vintage postcard of the Carnegie Library, I planned to do then-and-now shots of both the building and the fountain. A mild December day provided the perfect opportunity to have some photographic fun.

Recreating the postcard of the front of the Library was easy. 

It was interesting to see how the landscape had changed after more than a century. 

Unfortunately, the park fountain was long gone, and to make matters more difficult, a playground, basketball court and picnic shelter now occupied much of the park. None of the trees on the postcard seemed to have survived either. After walking around the grounds for an hour, I realized that it would be impossible to determine the fountain’s location without some more information.

It was time to head back to Ebay!


Next: The Lagoon