Detroit Public Library's history marks 160 years of books and community resources
The Detroit Public Library has reached its 160th anniversary, having officially opened on March 25, 1865.
The initial collection of 5,000 books was kept in a room of the old Capitol High School on Griswold Street,
according to history notes
on the library's website. A committee from the Detroit Board of Education governed the library until 1881 when the Detroit Library Commission was formed.
The first dedicated library building opened in 1877 in Centre Park, on the site of the current Skillman Branch library.
The first branches opened in 1900 inside Central High School, Harris School on the east side and Western High School.
The new main library building on Woodward Avenue opened in 1921. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the Italian Renaissance-style library building. Construction was partially funded by a gift from Andrew Carnegie, whose philanthropic efforts included financial support. over 1,600 libraries across the United States.
The Cass Avenue wing expansion opened in 1963.
Today, the library system's 23 branches and its mobile library service provide books and resources for the community along with study spaces, book clubs, cultural programming, career and employment help, obituary searches and publicly available computers.
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It has seven public rooms featuring portraits of George Washington and Queen Henrietta Maria, according to the Maryland State Archives. Massachusetts doesn't have a governor's mansion, but reports say it was almost the Ames-Webster Mansion in the early 1970s. Since the 1850s, there have been several attempts to establish an official governor's residence in Massachusetts. Mostly, the reason it didn't happen, on several different occasions, is financing, Curbed Boston reported. In the early 1970s, the Ames-Webster Mansion was reportedly a possibility to become the governor's mansion, but then-Gov. Frank Sargent was wary about spending, as he'd recently proposed a tax increase. The Michigan governor's mansion is in Lansing. The 8,700-square-foot, Ranch-style mansion was built in 1957, and has been the state's official residence since 1969, The Detroit News reported. It has five bedrooms and four bathrooms, the Wall Street Journal reported. In 2004, $2.5 million of private funds were spent to renovate the home. The governor of Michigan also gets a summer residence on Mackinac Island, The Detroit News reported. It has been state-owned since 1944 and has 11 bedrooms. The Minnesota governor's mansion is in St. Paul. The 16,000-square-foot English Tudor-style mansion was finished in 1912 and became the state's official residence in 1965, according to the official website of the Minnesota Governor's Residence. It sits on 1 acre of ritzy Summit Avenue. Inside, there are nine fireplaces, seven bedrooms, and 10 bathrooms. The Mississippi governor's mansion is in Jacksonville. The Greek Revival-style mansion was built in 1842. It is the second oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in the US, according to Mississippi Encyclopedia. The mansion is open to the public for tours Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The Missouri governor's mansion is in Jefferson City. The three-story brick mansion was built in 1872 and has been the official residence since then. It has 13 bedrooms and a 17-foot-high great hall, the St. Louis Post-Distpatch reported. Due to the period when it was built, it originally didn't have any bathrooms or closets. The full schedule of seasonal tours is available on the mansion's official website. The Montana governor's mansion is in Helena. In 2024, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and first lady Susan Gianforte purchased the Samuel T. Hauser House, a historic mansion in Helena, to use as their primary residence and donate to the state for future governors to use. They paid $4 million for the home, which former Montana Gov. Samuel T. Hauser built in 1855, according to a statement from the governor's office. The Gianfortes had to move out of the previous governor's mansion in 2021 due to necessary repairs. The Nebraska governor's mansion is in Lincoln. The 15,340-square-foot Georgian Colonial-style mansion was opened in 1958, according to the Office of the Governor. It has 27 rooms, 12 bathrooms, and four fireplaces. In the 1980s, then-first gentleman Bill Orr was critical of the interior decor and helped raise money for renovations by authoring a cookbook, People magazine reported. In 1997, an elevator was also built inside, the Lincoln Journal-Star reported. The Nevada governor's mansion is in Carson City. The Classical Revival-style, two-story mansion was built in 1909, according to the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. It has 23 rooms, a grand entrance area, a private den, a formal dining area, two salons, and a wrap-around porch on the second story. In 1969, a circular pergola, curved front stairs, and metal balustrades were added to the house, according to Visit Carson City. A $5 million renovation in 1999 added a 6,608-square-foot building called the Nevada room, which can cater to 300 guests. The New Hampshire governor's mansion is in Concord. The 6,725-square-foot brick mansion, also known as "Bridges House," was built in 1836 and donated to the state in 1969, according to the governor's office. Governors and their families have typically not lived there because it only has two bedrooms. Only Gov. Mel Thomson actually lived in it during his term in the 1970s, the Concord Monitor reported. Most governors use it for official events instead. The home fell into disrepair in the 1990s, but former Gov. John Lynch and his wife, first lady Susan Lynch, resurrected the house. The New Jersey governor's mansion is in Princeton. The Greek-Revival mansion, called "Drumthwacket," was built in 1834. It has 20 rooms, a library, a music room, and sits on 11 acres filled with Italian gardens. The state purchased it in 1966. Every Christmas, the mansion is decorated and opened to the public. The last New Jersey governor to live there full-time was James E. McGreevey, who resigned in 2004, The New York Times reported. The New Mexico governor's mansion is in Santa Fe. The 8,000-square-foot Territorial Revival-style mansion was built in the mid-1950s. It is the third official residence for New Mexico. Harrison Ford was married on the mansion grounds. Tours are offered from April to November and can be booked through the New Mexico Governor's Mansion Foundation. The New York governor's mansion is in Albany. The mansion was built in 1856 and has been the official residence for 32 governors since 1875. It has 40 rooms, a 20-foot master bathroom, and two swimming pools — one indoor and one outdoor, The New York Times reported. It sits on 6 acres. Notable incidents include when Theodore Roosevelt had to break in through a first-floor window when he locked himself out, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo getting spooked when he thought it was haunted by the spirit of a groundskeeper, who served the house's original owners, The New York Post reported. The North Carolina governor's mansion is in Raleigh. The 35,000-square-foot, Victorian-style mansion has been the official residence since 1891, according to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Inside, it has rooms with 16.5-foot ceilings, an elevator, and a bomb shelter. The mansion sits on almost 5 acres, and is the country's third-biggest governor's mansion, Walter magazine reported. Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt thought it had the most beautiful interior out of all of them, according to Visit Raleigh. The North Dakota governor's mansion is in Bismarck. The 13,700-square-foot mansion was finished in 2018 and cost nearly $5 million to build, the Bismarck Tribune reported. It has six bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, marble floors, white-oak walls, and cedar ceilings, the Grand Forks Herald reported. It also has a 22-foot ceiling in its reception area, with a spiral staircase that's meant to resemble the Capitol's Memorial Hall. The Ohio governor's mansion is in Columbus. The 13,000-square-foot mansion was built in the 1920s and has housed governors since 1957, according to Friends of the Ohio Governor's Residence and Heritage Garden. It has 20 rooms and features a 3-acre heritage garden. The Oklahoma governor's mansion is in Oklahoma City. The 14,000-square-foot, Dutch Colonial-style mansion has been the official residence since 1928, ABC affiliate KTUL reported. It has a limestone exterior that matches the State Capitol, and a walnut-paneled library filled with books about the state or written by writers from the state, The Oklahoman reported. It also has an Oklahoma-shaped pool and a tennis court that was originally built as a landing pad for President Lyndon B. Johnson's helicopter. The Oregon governor's mansion is in Salem. The 11,409-square-foot, Tudor-style mansion, called "Mahonia Hall," has been the official residence since 1987. It was built in the 1920s, the Statesman Journal reported. It has eight bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, a wine cellar, a sun room, and a ballroom. The Pennsylvania governor's mansion is in Harrisburg. The Georgian-style, 28,000-square-foot mansion was built in 1968 and became the official governor's residence that same year, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's official website. The home is three stories tall and sits on 3.5 acres of land filled with gardens and bee hives. The home was damaged in April when an arsonist set fire to the property. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were inside, but unharmed. Their living quarters have reopened, but other parts of the mansion continue to undergo repairs. Rhode Island doesn't have a governor's mansion. Rhode Island's state legislature used to move locations, making a set governor's mansion impractical, WPRO reported. In addition, Rhode Island's size makes for a short commute, and the state reportedly lacked funds to acquire another property while constructing the State House in the early 1900s. The South Carolina governor's mansion is in Columbia. The two-story, Federal-style mansion was built in 1855, originally as an officer quarters for a military academy, The New York Times reported. It has been the official residence since 1868. Inside, there's a formal drawing room and a state dining room. The mansion sits on 9 acres and is shaded by old magnolias, oaks, and elms, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion has housed more than 30 governors and their families. In 2003, then-Gov. Mark Sanford and his family moved into the house after renovations, but due to accepting the lowest bid from construction companies, poor repairs led to six family members having to move into the one-room pool house, The New York Times reported. For the last 40 years, the mansion has been decorated and opened to the public every Christmas. The South Dakota governor's mansion is in Pierre. The 14,000-square-foot, two-story mansion has been the official governor's residence since 2005, according to the South Dakota Bureau of Administration. The mansion has five bedrooms, a grand dining hall that can hold 80 people, two fireplaces, and a commercial kitchen. Its exterior is a mixture of field stone, copper flashing, brick, and concrete. The Tennessee governor's mansion is in Nashville. The three-story, Georgian-style mansion was built in 1931 and became the official residence in 1949, according to the government of Tennessee's official website. The house has 16 rooms, including a 14,000-square-foot banquet and meeting space beneath its front lawn. Inside, some of the art includes a portrait of Elvis Presley and photos of him when he was dating then-Gov. Buford Ellington's daughter, The Tennessean reported. The entrance has a black-and-white marble floor — the black marble was imported from Belgium, and the white from Georgia. It sits on 10 acres and used to be called "Far Hills" because of its view. Free tours are available from mid-March to mid-November. The Texas governor's mansion is in Austin. The Greek Revival-style mansion has been the state's official residence since 1856, according to the Texas State Preservation Board. The house has a veranda, floor-to-ceiling windows, and six 29-foot columns along the front porch. In 2008, an arsonist threw a Molotov cocktail at the house and caused major damage, The New York Times reported. Then-Gov. Rick Perry and his family (who weren't at the house during the fire) couldn't move back in for four years. Before the fire, it housed Texas politician Sam Houston's four-poster bed, and the writing desk of Stephen F. Austin, who has been dubbed the founder of Texas, according to the Texas governor's office. The Utah governor's mansion is in Salt Lake City. The French Renaissance mansion, called the "Kearns Mansion," was built in 1902 and became the official residence in 1937, according to the state of Utah's official website. It has 28 rooms including six bathrooms, 10 fireplaces, a ballroom, a billiards room, two dining rooms, and three vaults for wine and other valuables, Deseret News reported. The interior is decorated in bronze, iron, Russian mahogany, and oak from France and England. The mansion has a bowling alley in the basement, and used to have a large metal safe to keep candy guarded. In 1993, a fire damaged the building and almost $8 million was spent restoring the residence, according to Salt Lake City's City Hall. Vermont doesn't have a governor's mansion. Gov. Phil Scott lives with his family in Berlin, Vermont. The Virginia governor's mansion is in Richmond. The two-story, Federal-style mansion has been the official Virginia governor's residence since 1813. It is the oldest governor's mansion in the country still in use, according to its official website. It has hosted Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and former presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama. The Washington governor's mansion is in Olympia. The Georgian-style brick mansion has been the Washington governor's official residence since 1909, according to the Olympia Governor's Mansion Foundation. The house features a ballroom and a state dining room. The West Virginia governor's mansion is in Charleston. The Georgian Colonial-style mansion has been the official residence since 1925, according to the West Virginia Humanities Council. The house has eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, a drawing room, a ballroom, a state dining room, a sitting room, and a library. At its entrance, there are black-and-white marble floors; the black is from Belgium, the white from Tennessee. It also has dual staircases, which were inspired by the White House. The Wisconsin governor's mansion is in Maple Bluff. The Classical Revival-style, three-story mansion was built in 1927 and has been the official governor's residence since 1950, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. It has seven bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and its walls are between 12 and 18 inches thick, according to the mansion's official website. The grounds feature 10 gardens and overlook Lake Mendota. The Wyoming governor's mansion is in Cheyenne. The current Wyoming governor's mansion was built in 1976 after the previous mansion was turned into a museum, according to the Wyoming Historical Society. The grounds feature a bronze statue of deer titled "Open Season" by Guadalupe Barajas, according to the nonprofit Arts Cheyenne. Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2019. It was updated in June 2025.
