Image: Montrose Library by Russ Hamer, sourced from Wikimedia Commons and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Montrose’s richly modelled red-sandstone Carnegie library combines Renaissance and Scots Baronial forms with an unusually complete historic interior.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built and opened 1905; refurbished about 1980 and subsequently
- Architect / designer
- J. Lindsay Grant; carving by Earp, Hobbs and Miller
- Type
- Purpose-built Carnegie public library
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB38051)
- OS grid reference
- NO 71370 57674
A library designed as a civic landmark
A carved entrance, corner tower, gables, oriels and a bellcote animate the High Street elevation. Inside, tiled walls, timber fittings, stained glass and a generous stair preserve the character of the early public rooms.
Its story
Andrew Carnegie promised funding in 1902 and a competition selected J. Lindsay Grant’s design in 1903. Reading rooms opened in July 1905 and the library in October. Later refurbishment retained much of the original interior.
Why it is included
It is a particularly complete Carnegie library whose architecture, interior planning and current community service can still be understood together.
What to notice
- The carved Public Library panel and sculpted entrance.
- The corner tower, gables and rooftop bellcote.
- Inside during opening hours, the coloured tiles, timber colonnade and stained glass.
Reading the surroundings
This is an active library. Check opening, activities and any access arrangements with ANGUSalive before travel.
Timeline
- 1902 Andrew Carnegie promised funding for a new library.
- 1903 J. Lindsay Grant won the design competition.
- 1905 The reading rooms and library opened.
- Present ANGUSalive continues the public library and local-information service.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The library has been refurbished more than once; the surviving original interior is substantial but not untouched.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Montrose Library, LB38051 — Designation, exact grid reference, construction date, authorship, fabric and significance.
- ANGUSalive: Montrose Library — Current library use, address, opening, facilities and local-history resources.
Location
OS grid reference NO 71370 57674 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies an exact National Grid Reference and the current operator confirms the building and address. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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