Andrew Carnegie did a great job of cementing his legacy, and possibly trying to whitewash the brutal labor practices of his that brought him his wealth, through creating community hubs with his libraries, music halls, and overall community centers. The largest of which is the
Music Hall, Museums, and Library Complex in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, but perhaps the most intact of his smaller community based facilities is the Carnegie Library of Homestead.
This place is an absolute gem and hub for community activity and spirit. Through thick and thin, this library has stayed with the community of Homestead. When it was built, the city was a boomtown with one of the largest steel mills in the nation. that has since gone and the city has been caught in hard times for decades. Through this though, the facility has pushed on and served as a positive and continuously operating hub for the community.
On the left hand side of the facility, the stunning Music Hall is beautifully adorned, has seats for 1047 guests, and has hosted so many different acts since it was established in 1898.
Our visit this past Friday was to see "The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes" which was pretty great. They did a screening of The Princess Bride Movie with a Q&A with Cary Elwes, who played Westley in the movie. It was a great evening in a very intimate venue.
The carving details are so beautiful.
The seats are so cool as well. What is pretty amazing is that this facility has remained in constant use. Its nearby, and slightly older neighbor, the Carnegie Library of Braddock, has not been as lucky, and it has been an uphill battle to restore and preserve that old facility, which had actually fully closed down in the 1970s. I would love to see that facility shine again like this one does.
Cary Elwes during his Q&A and presentation about the movie. We highly recommend checking out this facility, they have a number of great upcoming concerts, comedy tours, presentations, and more.
The
Dorothy 6 Blast Furnace Cafe, which is located a few block walk away from the facility. Their food and environment are just phenomenal. They have fantastic food and a great tap list in a really cool space. They also have great high end dishes that are made from scratch, including hand made pierogies.
For more information on upcoming shows and the facility itself, check out their website at
www.CarnegieofHomestead.org We have released our 2022 Pennsylvania Calendar!
It features views of:
-Independence Hall in Philadelphia
-Sunrise in Downtown Pittsburgh
-Knoebels Amusement Resort
-Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
-Millersburg Ferry across the Susquehanna River
-Tank Hollow Overlook above the Lehigh Gorge in the Poconos
-The Reading Pagoda
-Kennywood Park
-Mercer's Mill Covered Bridge in Chester and Lancaster Counties
-Academia-Pomeroy Covered Bridge in Juniata County
-Ohiopyle State Park
-A holiday scene in Pittsburgh
The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 pages)
It makes for a great gift for someone or for yourself. It is available for purchase through the PayPal dropdown menus at the top of the page and the bottom of this article.
Thanks for your ongoing support over the years!