Ayr Carnegie Library
Date grant received: December 24, 1909
Amount of grant received from the Carnegie Foundation: $5,200
Date library opened: October 31, 1911
Architect: W. E. Binning
Ayr was the smallest community in Ontario to receive a grant from the Carnegie Foundation as at the time the population of Ayr was only 807. The library was originally founded in 1856 as a library for the Farmers' and Mechanics' Insititue and became a public library in 1899. The board sought a grant from the Carnegie Foundation to build a library when it outgrew the space it was renting in the Masonic Lodge.
W.E. Binning had been the architect for seven other Carnegie libraries and in June 1910, his plans were accepted and the library building was completed and opened on October 31, 1911.
Over the years there have been many changes in the small community of Ayr. One of the largest changes was in population and soon it was realized the the small building could no longer accomodate the needs of the community. The new library building was completed and opened on June 18th, 2004. The old Carnegie library sits vacant on the main street of Ayr.
Visit the Ayr Branch of the Waterloo Regional Library website for a more detailed account of the library's history.
