Oregon Civic Justice Center - History

History

On October 12, 1901, the Salem Woman's Club was organized with the wife of Oregon Governor Theodore Thurston Geer serving as president of the organization. Two years later the group started the Salem Public Library at Geer's home, and then later located at Chemeketa and High streets in downtown Salem in the then city hall, with the library's collection totaling 50 books at that time. The library group hired a librarian, Miss F. Phillips, for a salary of $20 per month to run the library. In 1907, the group explored options to build a stand-alone library building using funds provided by Andrew Carnegie, who was providing funds for building libraries around the world.

In May 1909, the Woman’s Club purchased an option to buy the property on the southwest corner of Winter and State streets for $5500, which was located across State from Willson Park (a city park at that time). This group then raised the funds to purchase the land for $12,000, and Salem applied for a grant from the Carnegie foundation. The city was allotted $14,000 by the foundation to build a library, but the Women’s Club which owned the existing library and land had not been involved in the process. The organization was able to get the money rescinded, and in November 1910, worked with the city to increase their maintenance fund for the library. Carnegie then raised the grant to $27,500 at the lobbying of Lulu Bush (daughter-in-law to Asahel Bush) and the Woman’s Club deeded the lot and the other library assets to the city of Salem.

On September 12, 1912, the new library opened on the property near Willamette University and the Oregon State Capitol, though construction on the structure was not completed, and much of the furniture had not been installed in the building. The completed structure included hardwood floors, crown molding, windows that were two-stories tall, and a fireplace. The library cost $30,000 to build, and within a year of operating had expanded to serve nearly 7,700 patrons with a collection of nearly 10,500 books. On January 4, 1920, a small fire damaged the furnace room and about 50 books at the library.

In 1914, the YWCA of Salem was organized by the same Salem Women's Club. Located in downtown on Cottage Street Northeast, the YWCA moved in 1954 to the lot adjoining the library. By the 1960s, the small library had a collection in excess of 100,000 volumes, but needed a larger facility. A public campaign to build a new library began in 1968, with the library to be part of a larger government center that included a city hall and fire station. In 1971, the YWCA purchased the adjacent Carnegie library building for $150,000, and on July 6, 1972, the Salem Public Library vacated the Carnegie building and moved to Salem’s new Civic Center located west of the old library. Located next to the YWCA's existing home, the old library was turned into the organization's youth center. The building was remodeled from 1990 to 1991.