Overview

The Old East Lake Library is one of the first libraries in the city, built to serve the Longfellow neighborhood.  

• Location: 2916 Lake Street East 
• Neighborhood: Longfellow

Historic profile

The Old East Lake Library is one of the first libraries in the city, built to serve the Longfellow neighborhood. It was built in 1924. 

Local architect Jerome Paul Jackson designed the library. Jackson also designed the Walker and Seven Corners branch libraries in Minneapolis. The Old East Lake Library is utilitarian in style. This form matched the surrounding one- and two-story commercial buildings along Lake Street. It has a symmetrical façade made out of brown bricks with concrete window surrounds. The primary entrance is a recessed concrete archway in the center of the building. 

It is one of many small library branches that furthered educational and cultural services in the city. The Longfellow neighborhood was primarily industrial at the time. Lake Street was already a busy commercial street with a streetcar line. It was the only streetcar connection into St. Paul. The Lake Street location was selected to attract nearby factory workers and residents. They had business and industry books to serve them. 

Gratia Alta Countryman was head librarian when the Old East Lake Library was built. She developed 13 neighborhood branch libraries during her tenure from 1904 to 1936. She was the first female librarian in the country for a city this large. Her ability to secure funding more than quadrupled the library's budget. Countryman was a founding member of the American Library Association. 

The library closed in 1976 when a new library was opened on Lake Street. It was converted into retail space that still serves south Minneapolis today.