SuauDiversified

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SuauDiversified
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  • Apple Carnegie Library wins American Architecture Award in restoration and renovation cate...

    SuauDiversifiedSuauDiversified
    Fact checks: 
    (1) the Washington Public Library (as it was called when it opened) was NOT the first “desegregated” but rather the first “fully-integrated” public building in DC when it opened in 1903. Early in its history the library staff was segregated for a short period. 
    (2) it served as the main branch of what would become the District’s library system for almost 70 years. 
    (3) fell into disuse from 1970 until 1999, when Congress awarded a 99-year lease to the Historical Society of Washington, DC. The building is owned by the city, the square is Federal property. 
    (4) The Historical Society’s attempt to convert the library into a urban museum failed after less than one year. Poorly executed and without sustained support from funders and the City, the Historical Society struggled to meet the expense of maintaining the structure’s aging disrepair. 
    (5) EventsDC (convention and sports facilities operator) took control of the administration of the building and the Historical Society reduced its footprint to about 30% of the structure. 
    (6) The building was used as an events space for rent by EventsDC from 2011-2017, often at the expense of the Historical Society’s ability to remain free and open to the public. 
    (7) In 2017, Apple entered an agreement to restore the building for an undisclosed rental fee for 10 years for a major Apple store and refitting the Historical Society’s footprint on the second floor. 
    (8) the new DC History Center has been lauded as the Historical Society’s most successful chapter in its 125 + year history and will remain in the building until 2098. 

    GeorgeBMacTRAG