Carnegie Library Building
Also known as: Navy Supply Corps Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 with about $25,000 from the Andrew Carnegie Fund, this library on Prince Avenue in Athens, Georgia, is an eclectic, highly ornamented Neo-Classic building of yellow brick with white-painted wooden trim. A wide entablature of triglyphs, metopes and palmettes circles the exterior, and a pair of Doric columns supports the entrance pediment. Inside, an octagonal lobby about thirty feet high is ringed by eight colossal columns and lit by clerestory windows, with a balcony along the rear wall. The land earlier housed the State Normal School, a branch of the University of Georgia, and the federal government bought the property from the university system in 1953. The Navy Supply Corps School later converted the library into its museum, adding ship lanterns and a chandelier while keeping the carved Carnegie Library inscription over the door. A memorial garden behind the building is used for community events.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the building as a Neo-Classic Carnegie library built in 1910 with about $25,000 from the Andrew Carnegie Fund. It is tied to the site's earlier use as the State Normal School, a branch of the University of Georgia. Its reuse as a museum, with the original Carnegie Library inscription kept over the entrance, is also cited.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75000577, listed November 11, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1401 Prince Ave., Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Clarke County |
| Listed | November 11, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000577 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, rather highly ornamented Neo-Classic style |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, unaltered and on its original site, in use as the Navy Supply Corps Museum open to the public. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 33.96398, -83.40434 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75000577.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5043938
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.