Description of Historic Place

Brussels Library, at 402 Turnberry Street, is located on the southwest corner of Turnberry Street and Mill Street in the Municipality of Huron East. The one storey, red-brick library was constructed in 1909.

The property was designated, by the Municipality of Huron East in 2008, for its heritage value, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 85-2008.

Heritage Value

Located on the main street of Brussels, the Carnegie Library's use of Ionic pillars, bracketing, tight rows of deep windows and brick creates a harmonious relationship with the surrounding buildings. The monumental sense of the main entrance contributes to the formal feel of the area, while the overall scale of the building helps to maintain a visual continuity along the main street.

The Carnegie Library is significant for its association with Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie had a life-long interest in the establishment of free libraries as a means to self education, and provided funds for a total of 2,509 libraries, 125 of which were in Canada. In 1909, upon request by officials of the Village of Brussels, Mr. Carnegie donated $7,000 towards the creation of a building that would house the Brussels Public Library. The gift had an air of celebrity attached to it because Brussels was one of the smallest municipalities to receive it. Of the numerous Carnegie libraries built throughout Ontario, there are only six with corner entrances, Brussels being one of them.

The Carnegie Library is representative of the Carnegie Library design. W. J. Ireland designed the library in the Neo-classical style typical of Carnegie's libraries. Neoclassical elements include the hip roof with a large corner entrance and portico supported by cement Ionic columns. A decorated pediment above the portico completes and greatly enhances the Neo-classical style.

Source: Municipality of Huron East, By-law 85-2008.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of Brussels Library include its:
- corner entrance with Ionic columns
- date stone
- one storey, red-brick exterior
- hip roof
- pediment with an ocular window surrounded by a laurel leaf wreath
- cornice with dentil trim
- red-brick pilasters
- brick chimney
- double hung windows
- symmetrical fenestration