Woodneath , also known as the Elbridge Arnold Homestead, is a historic farmhouse located in Kansas City, Missouri that was occupied by the Arnold, Moore, and Crouch families between 1855 and the late 1970s. It was named "Woodneath" after the abundant oak, pine, and sugar maples on the property, and many of those tree varieties are still present on the property today. The farmhouse and surrounding property are good examples of the agrarian lifestyle common in Clay County, Missouri during this time period. The property is currently adjacent to the Woodneath Farms neighborhood , named for the farmhouse.
27-547: The farmhouse is one of the oldest antebellum structures in Kansas City and remains an important surviving example of a brick, Greek Revival style farmhouse. Crouch descendants owned Woodneath until they sold it, and 33 acres surrounding the home, to Mid-Continent Public Library in 2008. In June 2013 the Mid-Continent Public Library system constructed a new state of the art Woodneath Branch around, and attached to,
54-940: A ceremony at the White House in Washington D.C. The medal is the country's highest honor awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services . The Independence Public Library was formed by the Independence Library Association in 1892 and by the creation of the Citizens Improvement Association Library (later the Carnegie Library) in Excelsior Springs, Missouri in the 1890s. After World War II , Clay, Platte, and Jackson counties each formed library systems. They began collaborating in
81-556: A public library was conceived by the Kansas City Board of Education by arranging a course of six popular lectures as a fundraiser to buy books. Superintendent of schools, Dr. James Michlejohn Greenwood, selected these first books. A record of the origin of the Kansas City Public Library was solicited by Major L. K. Thacher via a Board resolution, adopted on November 19, 1891, resulting in the pamphlet titled A history of
108-534: A vibrant storytelling community and the Story Center will bring this art, in its various traditional and modern forms, to all generations in the community and region. Because this concept is still in development, national and local partners involved in the planning of the project are currently being identified and gathered to participate in the project." The Mid Continent Public Library hopes to secure $ 4.025 million in private contributions to actualize their vision for
135-468: Is laid over concrete panels and an aluminum substructure. The shelf showcases 22 titles reflecting a wide variety of reading interests as suggested by Kansas City readers and then selected by The Kansas City Public Library Board of Trustees". The following books are depicted in the work: The Kansas City Public Library has an open door policy for patrons. Beginning in 2016, the Library's AmeriCorps VISTAs and
162-605: Is overseen by a Library Board of twelve members, four appointed by County Commissioners in each of the service region's three counties. It currently has 31 branches in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area of Missouri located in Kansas City , Independence, Liberty , Gladstone , Lee's Summit , Grandview , Blue Springs , Grain Valley , and other cities. It also hosts two installations at community centers in partnership with
189-638: Is the oldest and third largest public library system in the Kansas City metropolitan area . Its special collections, housed in the Central Library's Missouri Valley Room, has a collection of Kansas City local history, including original and published materials, news articles, post cards, photographs, maps, and city directories dating from the community's earliest history. The Library's Ramos Collection includes books, pamphlets, journal articles, and other materials relating to African-American history and culture. Built in 2004, The Community Bookshelf (also known as
216-490: Is wrapping its "arm" around the old manor. The future usage plans for the farmhouse and property are extensive. The home itself has become the Woodneath Story Center. The Story Center is a place where the past, present and future merge for the purpose of storytelling. The acreage surrounding the library holds promise for historic and natural interpretation, walking trails and public green space. "Kansas City enjoys
243-810: The Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri. It is the largest stand-alone public genealogy research facility in America. The 52,000-square-foot (4,800 m ) building houses a unique collection of records in almost completely open stacks. It holds 80,000 family history books, 100,000 local history items, 565,000 rolls of microfilm , and 7,000 maps . It also contains all available U.S. federal population census records and federal indexes, Civil War histories, immigration and naturalization records, ship passenger lists, Native American records, biographical archives, manuscripts pertaining to
270-532: The 100 largest libraries in America, which includes university, public, and private collections, and is among the nation's 20 largest public library systems. The Kansas City Public Library is a separate library system with facilities primarily serving Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri. On May 8, 2014, the Mid-Continent Public Library received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service during
297-663: The American slave trade and the Antebellum South , Papers of the St. Louis Fur Trade, and a large variety of state records for Missouri and other states such as state censuses, tax records, penitentiary records, military service records, compiled records of Missouri Union and Confederate Army soldiers , approximately 50 Missouri newspapers , local newspaper indexes to obituaries and weddings , and genealogical periodicals . The center has 10,000 volumes available for circulation in
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#1732924719005324-471: The Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department that provide automated library services and public Internet access. In fiscal 2008–2009, the collection held 3,544,072 items. Total annual circulation was 9,183,005 items, and it filled 1,773,586 intra- and interlibrary loans . Branch libraries served 4,673,737 visitors. Total attendance at live programming events for adults and families and for children
351-507: The Kansas City Public Library from 1873 to 1893. Prepared by order of the Board of Education by J. M. Greenwood, December 1, 1892 . ...at all times one grand object has been kept steadily in view, that Kansas City was quietly laying the foundation for one of the best libraries in the entire country ... that would reflect great credit on the enterprise, perseverance and intelligence of those farsighted citizens who started this movement during one of
378-513: The Kansas City Public Library has a program to help immigrants. The Refugee and Immigrant Services & Empowerment (RISE) program helps immigrants by providing information on resources, which help them pursue citizenship. The Library periodically hosts edit-a-thons on topics relevant to the Kansas City Area. Recent edit-a-thons have covered Kansas City Black History , Kansas City Jazz , and Kansas City Philanthropists . In November 1873,
405-543: The Library District Parking Garage) is a striking feature of Kansas City's downtown. It runs along the south wall of the Central Library's parking garage on 10th Street between Wyandotte Street and Baltimore Avenue. The concept of turning the parking garage into a bookshelf was part of an effort on behalf of the community to bring character to the needed structure. "The book spines, which measure approximately 25 feet by 9 feet, are made of signboard mylar that
432-527: The Outreach team began a program called Coffee & Conversations for patrons in order to tackle the issue of homelessness within the community. During the meeting, the library provides information to patrons on the topic of homelessness and other social issues. They also invite open dialogue during this time. This program was modeled after a similar program from the Dallas Public Library. Additionally,
459-529: The Woodneath Case The Library has made great effort to assure the new, much larger building would not overshadow the house. Architects (Sapp Design Architects) designed it to sit several feet lower than the historic home. The Library chose neutral building materials for the new addition to allow Woodneath's red brick to stand out. The new building's design, with its arching form and colonnade features reminiscent of Greek revival structures, suggests it
486-567: The Woodneath Story Center. Mid-Continent Public Library Mid-Continent Public Library , officially known as Consolidated Library District #3 , is a public library system serving Clay , Platte , and Jackson counties in Missouri , with headquarters in Independence, Missouri . Mid-Continent Public Library is the largest public library system in the U.S. state of Missouri by number of volumes and size of budget. Its collection ranks among
513-678: The early 1960s, and on November 10, 1965, Clay and Jackson formed the Mid-Continent Public Library Service as a joint administrative body, though each library retained separate governing boards and budgets. Even though they remained separate, their combined resources allowed them to merge administrative costs. Gaining the name Mid-Continent Public Library in 1968, the library system was well on its way to achieving its goal. Separating library services from school districts enabled them to expand library services to rural areas, which presently did not have services. Platte County joined
540-493: The group in 1968. In 1978, seven years after the state legislature passed a law allowing for consolidated multi-county library systems, the Clay and Jackson libraries officially merged to form Consolidated Library District No. 3. Platte County joined a year later. Librarian James A. Leathers was influential in the creation of a regional library system and became the first Director of Mid-Continent Public Library Service. The library system
567-399: The head of the household. In October 1855 Mr. Arnold passed suddenly, leaving his widow, Mrs. Finetta Ann Arnold, to finish the home with slave labor and the help of local carpenters. Eldridge Arnold was originally from Virginia and enslaved 7 people in 1850, but 5 at his death in 1855. As per his probate record, these enslaved people were named Anna, Mary Jane, Lucy, Henry, and David. There
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#1732924719005594-517: The historic home. Mid-Continent has plans to repurpose the Woodneath home as the Woodneath Story Center, using the different rooms of the home as different story centers. Woodneath was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This historic farmhouse in Kansas City's Northland was constructed between 1854 and 1856. The Arnold family owned the land, with Mr. Elbridge Arnold being
621-786: The “Genealogy from the Heartland Collection” created from donations by the American Family Records Association (AFRA), Missouri State Genealogical Association (MoSGA), Heart of America Genealogical Society (HAGS), Gann Family Association, and patron contributions. Kansas City Public Library The Kansas City Public Library is a public system headquartered in the Central Library in Kansas City , Missouri . The system operates its Central Library and neighborhood branches located in Kansas City, Independence , and Sugar Creek . Founded on December 5, 1873, it
648-528: Was 318,639 patrons. The system has 466,344 registered borrowers. Annual circulation for the year exceeded one-half million items for each of the Mid-Continent Library's five busiest branches: Liberty, Lee's Summit, Colbern Road, North Independence, and Blue Springs South. The system has one of the nation's largest Summer Reading Programs, which was completed by 106,846 patrons in fiscal 2009. On June 21, 2008, Mid-Continent Public Library inaugurated
675-565: Was a short period of time during the Civil War when the west second story bedroom served as a place for the Arnold's eldest daughter, Sara M. Arnold, to teach school. The Brick-Monroe School, where local classes were usually taught, was forced to close due to war-related skirmishes in the area. The Arnold family sold the property to Presley Moore after the Civil War. The Moore family owned it from approximately 1870 to 1900, during which time Presley Moore
702-563: Was inspired to name the farm "Woodneath" after the abundant oak, pine and sugar maples on the property. After the turn of the 20th century, the Moore family sold the farmstead to the Crouches. During the years 1937 through 1953, under the ownership of Edwin Y. Crouch, the property was recognized as the Crouch Farm Dairy. The farmhouse continued primarily as an occupied residence, with the land it
729-508: Was on being used for agricultural business, until the mid-1970s. Crouch descendants owned Woodneath until they sold it and 33 surrounding acres to the Mid-Continent Public Library in 2008. In 2011, construction of the most technologically advanced library in the region began. The state of the art library was completed in June 2013 and surrounds the original, restored farmhouse. It was funded through $ 13 million in public investment. As described in
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