Our Beautiful Downtown Library

Editor’s note: Originally published January 26, 2018. Republished August 6, 2020.

I love the downtown Everett Public Library.

I've always appreciated the vibe of the place: how it's both a practical municipal building and just plain beautiful.

The Everett Public Library began as a collection of books.

The collection was started by the Everett Women's Book Club, a social group made up of the wives of wealthy Everett founders. They collected 1,000 books with the intention of stockpiling a knowledge resource for the fledgling community.

When the Book Club had amassed 1,000 titles they began storing their books on the second floor of the old City Hall building, located on Broadway.

The first librarian was a woman by the name of Alice McFarland.

Everett's second public book depository and first true library was the Carnegie Library. Built in 1905 the building stood on the southeast corner of Oakes & Wall streets. The library was housed there until 1934.*

There was a wealthy man named Leonard Howarth (as in, namesake for Howarth Park), who died. His estate entrusted the city of Everett with money earmarked for the public good.

In 1934 the city decided to use the money to build a new library at 2706 Hoyt. They chose an architect named Carl Gould who designed an Art Moderne building. Art Moderne was one of the last phases of the Art Deco movement, and is in part defined by rounded edges and corner windows.

Can I overstate how much I love the exterior look of Everett's main library? Probably not. It's the finest building in town and I have always thought so.

Check out how the library matches up to other art moderne buildings of the era:

Women continued to play major roles in the library.

Hazel Clark, early Everett librarian, put it this way. "Library work in 1928... seemed to be a profession for women—in the same class as teachers—one of the suitable positions for women in the workplace."

Hazel also took a turn driving Pegasus, the state's first bookmobile, around town. She drove it to hospitals and schools.**

During Hazel's tenure the library started loaning out phonograph records and even fine art prints that patrons could borrow.

*The Pegasus bookmobile. The first of its kind in the state. Image courtesy of the Everett Public Library*

The library we have today is here because of the vision of the Everett Women's Book Club, and the confluence of investor money and civic pride.

It's something we can all be proud of.

What's your favorite thing about the library?

*The building still stands today. The $25,000 Carnegie building was one of 1,689 U.S. libraries built with philanthropic money from tycoon Andrew Carnegie. If you want to visit other Carnegie Libraries in the area try the Seattle Public Library branches in Green Lake and the U. District. Classy yet practical public architecture awaits you.

** Pegasus, nicknamed "Peggy" fell into disuse for decades. It was found in an old garage and restored by the Friends of the Library.

Covid Update: Currently both of Everett's public libraries are open for curbside pick up. You can even request a curated, handpicked selection of books. Learn more at epls.org