Location Information
(for the Carnegie Library)
Name:Carnegie Library
Address:1300 24th Avenue
City/County:Gulfport, Harrison County
Architectural Information
Construction Date:1916-17
Architectural Styles(s):Neoclassical
No. of Stories:1
Registration Information
NR District Name:Gulfport Harbor Square Commercial (2011)
    NR Status:Contributing
    Element No.:35
Mississippi Landmark Information
Designated:02-05-1990
Recorded:02-13-1990
Book/Vol. No.:V. 1152, p. 452
Easement Information
Date Signed:01-19-2010
Easement Type:Preservation/Maintenance
Book/Vol. No.:Book 2010 Pg. 5601 D-J1
Context/Comments
This building served as a public library until 1966, when it was converted to offices for the Board of Education. It later served as Harrison County Sheriff’s Office until 1990. In 2004, it became the the Mississippi Sound Historical Museum. It was damaged by Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005.

This building was not included in the (old) Harbor Square Historic District, but it was later included as element #35 in the (new) Gulfport Harbor Square Commercial Historic District, which was placed on the National Register on 25 October 2011. It was designated a Mississippi Landmark on 5 February 1990.

It is included in "Buildings of Mississippi" (2020) (p. 343, within the listing for the U.S. Post Office and Customhouse, GC16).
Brief Description
One-story, brick former Carnegie Library in the Second Renaissance Revival Style on a raised basement and a flat roof behind a parapet with brick cap and a small central section with a blind balustrade that has cast stone balusters. Below the balustrade is a projecting cornice string course. There are concrete steps that lead to a landing in front of the entry door. The steps have brick wing walls with a concrete cap and light poles. The first floor facade is three bays (W, D, W) separated by double brick pilasters with a cast stone Corinthian capitals supporting a projecting brick string course. The windows are 6/6 wood double hung sash with the top sash arched. The windows are framed in cast stone with a key stone at the top of the arch. There is a projecting brick panel below the windows. The door is double-leaf wood with a central light and recessed panels above and below the light. The door opening is framed in cast stone and has a projecting header above the door supported by cast stone corbels. There is an arched transom with six divisions above the header and the transom is also framed in cast stone with a keystone. The basement level has several string recessed stringcourses between five rows of brick to give the appearance of a differentiated water table from the rest of the facade. The basement level also has two windows on either side of the stairs which are paired casements with six lights each and a flat arched cast stone lintel with keystone.
Historic Information
Architect: Noland and Torre of New Orleans. Contractor: C.O. Eure of Hattiesburg. First public library on the coast to be built using a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation with a grant of $10,000 in 1915. Built on land donated to the City by the County. Dedicated on November 20, 1916 and was completed on April 3, 1917. Served as the library until 1966.