In 1901 the Reverend Hamilton W Bartlett, rector of St. Michael's Church, began communicating with Andrew Carnegie about building a public library. Mr. Carnegie replied in 1903 with an offer of $10,000.00 to erect a free public library for North Yakima. In 1904 the Yakima Public Library was established. In 1907 the Carnegie building was opened at the corner of Third and A Streets where the Yakima Central Library building now stands. It was closed and demolished in August of 1957 to make way for the Yakima Valley Regional Library building, which is now known as the Yakima Central Library.