Henry Hare and Andrew Carnegie brown plaque

This brown commemorative plaque records: The library. Harrogate's first public library was opened in 1887 at Fern Villa in Princes Street. In 1903, when plans were already afoot to replace a temporary building on the present site with a new town hall, Mr Andrew Carnegie offered £7,500 toward the cost of the library wing on which work began on 17th October 1904. Designed by H.T. Hare as part of a gigantic neo-baroque 'municipal place' complete with clock tower, only the library was built. Appropriately, it was opened on the 24th January 1906 by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the remainder of the site being laid out as the library gardens. The art gallery was added to the upper floor in 1930. Recorded plaque organisation: Harrogate Borough Council.

Henry Hare FRIBA was a prominent British architect known for his design work on significant civic buildings; Andrew Carnegie was a leading industrialist and philanthropist who donated funds for numerous public libraries worldwide, including Harrogate's library.