Monteith library doomed?

[ronaldj]

Seems like the war on decimating the eastside goes on and on. The Monteith library, renovated within the last ten years with a grant, is going to be shuttered shortly. I am inserting a brief history copied off the internet.

Comments to follow.
History
The Monteith Branch was named in honor of the first president of the University of Michigan, Rev. John Monteith, a graduate of the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1816. The Monteith Branch opened to the public on May 1, 1926.
It was the newest and largest of Detroit's branch libraries, the seventeenth to be housed in a building of its own. This branch was the first to be designed according to a regional plan. The implication was that the region served would be vastly in excess of the neighborhood area generally covered by the regulation branch library. Monteith's service area extends from the riverfront to Mack Avenue and from Connor to Alter Road.
The building is of Plymouth granite and distinctive features of the exterior are the leaded glass casement windows, the symbolical carving over the stair tower and the large bay window in the present children's room. The Adult Room is two stories high with carved wooden trusses. The ends rest upon stone corbels
which are carved into figures symbolical of three of Michigan's leading industries: fur lumber and automobiles. The stained glass panels in the bay window trace the history of printing and of the book.
The second floor space once served as the Children's Room. It features a Pewabic tiled fireplace and above it, a large tile medallion set in plaster. This area of the library has been recently refurbished, thanks to the generosity of the Junior League of Detroit. It features a new floor treatment, furniture and leaded glass doors commemorating their partnership with the Library. This multi-purpose room is hosts a variety of children's programs and is available to the community as a meeting space.

Seems tragic that another amazing building will be lost. Achictectural features left to scavengers etc.

Everyone understands the city is in crisis. However, II for one am sick of hearing we need resources for children, we need to educate our children, we need recreational resources for our children and then one by one those resourses evaporate for our east area children.

I am not good at inserting email addresses but if people who care about a viable city centered resource and an outstanding building gem wish to expressed support please at least send one email to:

Judge Edward M Thomas, President, Detroit Library Commission
ethomas743@detroitpubliclibrary.org and request he share your sentiments with fellow commissioners.


Thanks, RJ

[313WX]

If it closes then it might as well be considered doom.

Nothing's over in that area now.

Say goodbye to more of Detroit's history and urban fabric.

[p69rrh51]

John Monteith Branch Detroit Public Library 14100 Kercheval built in 1926. Designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls.

[corktownyuppie]

Man, I don't remember a whole lot being in that area back when I was living on the eastside. Half my childhood was spent at the old Jefferson Branch. Very sad.

[313WX]

Man, I don't remember a whole lot being in that area back when I was living on the eastside. Half my childhood was spent at the old Jefferson Branch. Very sad.

The crack-cocaine epidemic essentially wiped out Fox Creek.

It was known as Crack Alley in fact.

[ronaldj]

Humm. Thought I would open a dialogue regarding venues for positive organizations that nurture and sustain a community and instead I hear amazing stupid comments about crack/cocaine. No doubt you refer to Mariners hospital, that for a time provided a Methodone clinic. That was in the 70's. Please fast forward. Perhaps you might be caught in that past?

What does that have to do with keeping a library that operates as a community/cultural center?

[p69rrh51]

The crack-cocaine epidemic essentially wiped out Fox Creek.

It was known as Crack Alley in fact.

There is a little more than one thinks but most is gone. Fortunately there is a George Mason designed church still standing. Also there is an apartment building on the corner of Alter and Kercheval that has the look of an Agree building I do not have any info if anyone does I would like to know.

[313WX]

What does that have to do with keeping a library that operates as a community/cultural center?

Good question, and I'll be glad to answer it.

You said Monteith library would be shuttered shortly. I concluded the reason that it will be shuttered shortly because the people it did serve no longer populate the area. I also concluded [[some of which from personal experience) that what ultimatelyn drove people away from the Fox Creek neighborhood was the severe problem with drugs. Thus, the library is likely underutilized and since it no longer serves the population base it once served that the city doesn't see the since in wasting money it doesn't have to operate a library that's underutilized.

This area BTW was also a target for the Detroit Works program, which is DOA, but still the point is there won't be too much capital from the city poured into this neighborhood anytime soon and we could very well lose the few things that are over there over the next decade.

EDIT: I am in complete agreement that it will be a shame to lose this library, but what can you do? The "community" also had "positive organization" to "nurture and sustain a community" where the Mark Twain Library was and we see where it ultimately got them. If the city has enough balls to shutter and demolish a perfectly good, and architectually significant library for no good reason in a still somewhat populated neighborhood, there's no reason why they wouldn't do so in an essentially enpty neighborhood. It gets to a point when trying to fight back against a lot of things in this city gets pointless, because there are more people who want to do the backwards thing than not, and good luck trying to convince them otherwise when their mind is set.

[ronaldj]

What happened to Twain is all the more reason to fight for Monteith. Everyone bemoans the lack of education, street violence and youth vagrancy in Detroit

Last I looked at the eastside as a whole and where I reside, the community centers are shuttered, the rec centers shuttered, the schools shuttered & the the libraries shuttered. Hey, let's build more prisons for the youth we ignore.

Here is an exerpt from a letter my wife wrote on behalf of keeping Monteith open, to the library commissioners:


To library Commisioners regarding the Monteith library closure:

This letter comes as a show of strong support from The Village of Fairview Historical Society, a registered 501c3 organization dedicated to preserving our physical heritage and history of our eastside.

The Village of Fairview existed from 1903 to 1907. It encompassed the area of Bewick to Cadieux, the Detroit River to Mack. In 1907, the city of Detroit annexed 1/2 of Fairview under suspicious circumstances. Specifically, Bewick to Alter with the remainder becoming the Village of Grosse Pointe Park, later to become a city.

Residents hostile to this annexation continued to list in church and other registers that they lived in Fairview as late as 1936. Consequently we hold Monteith Library, built 1926, as part of our Fairview saga.

In the past many years, we have held sold out bus tours, lectures in widely varied venues. Our president was the keynote speaker for GPP's 100 yr centennial. We consider Ewald library and Monteith to be sister libraries and had hoped Monteith would be able to host the debut of our soon to be published history of our area.

On a personal note, my parents grew up on the Eastside, born 1918 & 1920 respectively. Monteith Library was the hub of the neighborhood for the depression years providing education, elegance, peace and tranquility during that terrible time.

Today, mirrors the tradgedy of those times. Monteith is a beacon of light and an important pulse in this community. Many who find haven there, never take out a book or video. To take a body count while considering its fate would be a great injustice. It is structurally, educationally and emotionally very significant to our community.

As a founding member of an east area historical society and area resident, Islandview Village, and a patron of the library, I cannot express strongly enough the importance of this hub of culture as a historical structure and educational institution in a community that has suffered so much loss.

[Patrick]

It is one of Detroit's most overlooked architectural gems as well.....sad.

[renf]

Here is a little more information about the very attractive Montieth Library. I hope that it may be
retained.
http://detroit1701.org/Detroit%20Pub...%20Branch.html

[stasu1213]

Good question, and I'll be glad to answer it.

You said Monteith library would be shuttered shortly. I concluded the reason that it will be shuttered shortly because the people it did serve no longer populate the area. I also concluded [[some of which from personal experience) that what ultimatelyn drove people away from the Fox Creek neighborhood was the severe problem with drugs. Thus, the library is likely underutilized and since it no longer serves the population base it once served that the city doesn't see the since in wasting money it doesn't have to operate a library that's underutilized.

This area BTW was also a target for the Detroit Works program, which is DOA, but still the point is there won't be too much capital from the city poured into this neighborhood anytime soon and we could very well lose the few things that are over there over the next decade.

EDIT: I am in complete agreement that it will be a shame to lose this library, but what can you do? The "community" also had "positive organization" to "nurture and sustain a community" where the Mark Twain Library was and we see where it ultimately got them. If the city has enough balls to shutter and demolish a perfectly good, and architectually significant library for no good reason in a still somewhat populated neighborhood, there's no reason why they wouldn't do so in an essentially enpty neighborhood. It gets to a point when trying to fight back against a lot of things in this city gets pointless, because there are more people who want to do the backwards thing than not, and good luck trying to convince them otherwise when their mind is set.

This is a form of people removal from the areas targeted for reconstruction. This library is being utilized. The entities who control Bing and part of the council want this area. Closing down the schools and libraries as a way of removing single parent families from the areas without asking them to move. In 1998 or so Mark Twain had closed it's doors so the renovations, a lie, could start. In 2002 Chandler Elementary School which was only a few blocks from the library had closed it's doors permanently. This was before Robert Bobb had came on the scene. Close the libraries then close the schools and the families will leave afterwards. That is the plan.

[EZZ]

I don't get out much...the Mark Twain Library was demolished? Sad. When? Pic from late 2003.

[p69rrh51]

I don't get out much...the Mark Twain Library was demolished? Sad. When? Pic from late 2003.

Lost a couple months ago. Pic was taken August of 2011

[EastsideAl]

First Mark Twain Library, where I learned to read, and now Monteith Library, where my father and many of my cousins learned to read. It's almost more than I can take, really. This city can just be so crushingly disappointing.

This library is a truly beautiful structure inside and out, and is as well-utilized as any building or institution in this whole part of the east side. Many of the people and houses are gone from the surrounding neighborhoods to be sure, but this area still has some people in it, and a number of those people, and people from surrounding neighborhoods, use this library.

But if the people who run our city are to be believed, what we really need are more vacant buildings and vacant lots, instead of all those silly books. I guess nothing, not even beautiful buildings, and the prospect of actually improving the lot of our local children instead of treating them as expendable throwaway people, should stand in the way of the great land bank scam.

Thanks Ronald and others for fighting the good fight on this one too. My emails and letters are on their way.

[stasu1213]

First Mark Twain Library, where I learned to read, and now Monteith Library, where my father and many of my cousins learned to read. It's almost more than I can take, really. This city can just be so crushingly disappointing.

This library is a truly beautiful structure inside and out, and is as well-utilized as any building or institution in this whole part of the east side. Many of the people and houses are gone from the surrounding neighborhoods to be sure, but this area still has some people in it, and a number of those people, and people from surrounding neighborhoods, use this library.

But if the people who run our city are to be believed, what we really need are more vacant buildings and vacant lots, instead of all those silly books. I guess nothing, not even beautiful buildings, and the prospect of actually improving the lot of our local children instead of treating them as expendable throwaway people, should stand in the way of the great land bank scam.

Thanks Ronald and others for fighting the good fight on this one too. My emails and letters are on their way.

I hate to say that the people who run this city don't know anything about perserving historical buildings such as libraries, schools, and such. Europe has buildings that are 400 years old and older and are still in use. Libraries such as Montieth and Mark Twain would had be preserved to their natural state and still would be in use. I would wonder what former council members such as Mel Ravitz and Maryanne Mahaffney[[ pardon the spelling) would had thought pertaining to the closing of these buildings. The city leaders only know how to eliminate and cut. They can't think of anything creative to bring revenue to the city and keep the learning institutions open.

[p69rrh51]

I hate to say that the people who run this city don't know anything about perserving historical buildings such as libraries, schools, and such. Europe has buildings that are 400 years old and older and are still in use. Libraries such as Montieth and Mark Twain would had be preserved to their natural state and still would be in use. I would wonder what former council members such as Mel Ravitz and Maryanne Mahaffney[[ pardon the spelling) would had thought pertaining to the closing of these buildings. The city leaders only know how to eliminate and cut. They can't think of anything creative to bring revenue to the city and keep the learning institutions open.

Its interesting I learned to read at St. Matthew's school, but learned my love of history at St.Paul's school library. I do not think anyone "learned" to read at a library but they learned about some of their passions there. I lament the passing of any library but maybe its time to take the bull by the horns and take over the Monteith and run it as a non profit and join it with the old Hosmer branch, the McGregor in Highland Park and George Lothrop Branch. You could achieve some of the goals you want and preserve neglected library branches.

[ProudMidwesterner]

What a gorgeous building, and few places are as important to a neighborhood, even one down on its luck, than a library. Here's to the Library Commission doing the right thing and saving it, especially seeing at how quickly the Twain branch has fallen apart.

Even putting aside the books, the building is the type of architecture that makes me consider Detroit the city with the most beautiful architecture in the country, and each building of this style lost is another one future generations simply won't have to admire.

[Khartoum]

George Lothrop Branch.

Demolished over 2 years ago.

[313WX]

Demolished over 2 years ago.

Another one bites the dust, lol...

[mikefmich]

I street viewed the area....which I used to run in as a teenager, very early 20's. Good friend of mine lived on Lakewood just off Kercheval, I was with his sister a few times at Montieth Library.

All I can say from the street views is......wow. This stuff continues to be utterly depressing. Using street view in Detroit, I need to stop. It's masochistic of me to do such.

[redjan]

I practically grew up in this branch. I learned to love books and libraries here.

[SWMAP]

Me, too. The children's room was so beautiful. I remember a series of books about children in an underground kingdom. I loved them and checked them out over and over.

[Packman41]

.....and now Monteith Library, where my father and many of my cousins learned to read. It's almost more than I can take, really. This city can just be so crushingly disappointing.

I find it more than disappointing - I find it depressing. I grew up in that neighborhood - just two blocks away on Coplin between Kercheval and Vernor. I loved that library and still drive past it a couple of times a year.

There isn't a one home left on my block, the last home burned down about five years ago. IIRC Carstens Elementary is scheduled to be closed and so is Jackson Junior High. Cass Tech was torn down this past summer.

Will nothing survive from my childhood?

Yet, only 8 blocks to the east of Monteith is the border with the Grosse Pointes where everything seems to be preserved.

[p69rrh51]

Demolished over 2 years ago.

I had not been by there in awhile sorry to see it go.