Carnegie Library

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In 1902 a Classical Revival style Carnegie Library was built in Niles with a $15,000 donation from steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie (his public library building program never had a formal name) and another $3500 for the land from the Niles citizenry.  It is one of 1689 libraries including 53 in Michigan built by  Carnegie  throughout the United States around the turn of the last century. Though Carnegie built libraries in major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit, some 70 percent of his libraries were constructed in small towns with a population of less than 10,000 people. The building currently houses the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce and Council on Tourism and is listed on the State Historical Register.