Waterloo Public Library-East Side Branch

Waterloo, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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The Waterloo Public Library-East Side Branch, located in Waterloo, Iowa, is a Neoclassical stone library designed by local architect John G. Ralston and completed in 1906. One of two matching Carnegie libraries built to resolve disputes over a single riverside location, the single-story structure is constructed of Bedford stone over a raised basement and features a central portico with paired Ionic columns beneath a hipped roof. Ralston designed both East and West Side branches identically, and both were dedicated on February 23, 1906, after the Carnegie Foundation agreed to grant $24,000 toward each building. Rare among Waterloo's architecture for its stone construction, the East Side Branch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and now serves general civic purposes.