abstract
| - The library was constructed on a hill in Munhall, Pennsylvania overlooking the Homestead Steel Works, the site of an 1892 labor strike where Pinkerton agents fought with union workers, resulting in 16 deaths. Industrialist Andrew Carnegie funded the project and construction began in April 1896. While future Carnegie libraries would be philanthropic donations, the Homestead project was intended to serve the workers and families of the steel mills located nearby, many of whom lived in the community. The building was designed by Pittsburgh architects Frank Alden and Alfred Harlow and constructed by William Miller and Sons. The project cost $300,000 and consisted not only of the library, but a 1,000-seat music hall and athletic wing that included a swimming pool. In early years, the library held class for immigrants preparing for naturalization, and later for women entering the work force. The library was later supported by the USX Corporation, a successor to Carnegie's steel ventures at Homestead and elsewhere. When the Homestead Works closed in 1988, the library passed to the community of Munhall, who was experiencing economic hardships after losing its single-largest employer and tax base. However, the library remained open and operational because of several volunteers who worked to secure grant money. This continuous operation is in contrast to the USA's first Carnegie library at Braddock, Pennsylvania which has been closed periodically.
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