Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main (Oakland)

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh stands as a massive, gray sandstone edifice in the Oakland neighborhood, defined by the inscription "Free to the People" carved boldly above its main entrance. Opened in eighteen ninety-five, this building was the anchor of Andrew Carnegie’s "Palace of Culture," a complex that also incorporated a music hall, art gallery, and museum of natural history. The library was designed by the firm Longfellow, Alden and Harlow in a modified Italian Renaissance style, intended by the steel magnate to serve as a permanent, publicly funded resource for all citizens.