New photographs taken by the ECHO show how a lost Liverpool treasure left crumbling for over a decade has been restored to its former glory.
The Carnegie Library on Lister Drive/Green Lane in Tuebrook was forced to close in 2006 after the building became increasingly dilapidated.
Work began to restore the Grade II listed library back in April 2019 and was expected to take 12 months to complete.
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However, the poor condition of the building, which included extensive dry rot, meant extra funding and time was needed to complete the project.
Designed by architect Thomas Shelmerdine, the library opened in 1905 funded by wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie who was so impressed with the ‘public spirit of Liverpool’ that he personally donated £13,000 towards its construction.
After serving the city for over 100 years as a library, serious problems with the fabric of the building forced its closure.
The building fell into disrepair as it lay untouched for over a decade, with its once impressive architectural flourishes left crumbling and vandalised.
In 2016, Liverpool Council secured £3.9m in National Heritage Lottery Fund money to turn it into a community hub and lease it to a charity.
The council appointed specialist contractors HH Smith & Sons Ltd to undertake the restoration, with plans for children's charity Lister Steps to take over the building once restoration was completed.
The building was among those featured in the ECHO’s Stop the Rot campaign, first launched in October 2000 with the aim of rescuing and preserving the rich architectural heritage of the city and the greater Merseyside area.
In photographs taken inside the building last year by The Derelict Explorer, the amount of work that still needed to be completed as the restoration was only part complete was still evident.
Much of the brickwork was still exposed and the original plasterwork was falling off the impressive archways.
The impressive restoration project has since been completed and charity Lister Steps has now relocated inside the newly renovated building.
Founded 'by parents for parents' in 1997, the charity provide childcare and family support services for local residents.
The charity also provide facilities for local people to socialise, take part in new projects and learn new skills and hobbies as they continue to develop this impressive building into the Carnegie Community Hub Project.
T he ECHO has launched a new 56-page nostalgia supplement in print. It's packed with photos from the recent past and the not-so-recent, from shopping, fashion and music to the Albert Dock – plus an elephant on parade in Woolton. You can order a copy here.
