A long-sealed auditorium and a forgotten third-floor ballroom are at the center of a sweeping rehabilitation effort underway at the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls. The 35,000-square-foot landmark has launched what organizers call a major project to restore the historic building and expand community services across Beaver County, with plans to examine reopening the auditorium for the first time since the 1960s.
According to WPXI, the library has described the building as a historic 1903 structure, though Aqua Pennsylvania states the building, which sits on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, was actually constructed in 1899 — a discrepancy the available record does not resolve. The project, dubbed The Carnegie Library Reimagined: Preserve the Past, Gather the Future, is being led by project manager Deanna Jacobs, who said the building has been the heart of Beaver Falls for more than a century.
Phase one of the effort is already underway, encompassing an architectural review, an assessment of the building's potential use as an event center, and collection of public feedback, with organizers targeting completion of that phase by summer 2027. Project organizers are soliciting resident input through an online and print community survey, and Jacobs said that survey represents the first step toward making sure new spaces and services reflect Beaver County's needs.
What the Renovation Plan Covers
The renovation plans include restoring the third-floor ballroom, repairing historic stained glass, and upgrading infrastructure throughout the facility. A Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development notice indicates $500,000 will fund repairs including roof replacement, HVAC installation, electrical and internet upgrades, window restoration, and auditorium and ballroom renovations.
Beaver County Radio reports the library intends to replace outdated electrical infrastructure throughout the building, repair worn treads on the formal staircase, and reseal exterior windows. A stained-glass window will be removed for the first time since the library was built, undergoing extensive repair and restoration before it's reinstalled, per the same account. “The big plan here is to be able to have regional acts, community performances, you name it,” Jacobs told Beaver County Radio, describing the vision for the restored auditorium as a cultural gathering space.
Funding Support and Community Partners
Aqua Pennsylvania has separately announced it is donating $250,000 to the library as part of a combined $1.25 million contribution to the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls and the Beaver Falls Fire Department. That donation will go toward several necessary upgrades including window repairs, bathroom renovations, and electrical work, the utility said. H. R. Smith and the Allegheny Foundation have also provided recent grants supporting the preservation work, according to WPXI.
The library is collaborating with Geneva College, the City of Beaver Falls, local school districts, and historical societies on the broader effort, with organizers framing the project as connected to wider revitalization along the 7th Avenue corridor. Project organizers plan to hold focus groups with local educators and artists, design workshops for the auditorium and ballroom, and an oral history project collecting stories from before the auditorium was sealed. Hard hat tours of the hidden third floor are also planned, per WPXI's reporting.
Career Lab and Fundraising Efforts
The initiative includes a virtual reality career exploration lab, developed with input from local business leaders to connect residents with employment opportunities. Fundraising initiatives tied to the project include an engraved brick walkway, benefit concerts, and events hosted at adjacent Falls Park. Supporters who contribute $25 or more can receive a bookplate through the library's legacy program.
The library's board of trustees holds monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month, and the library said it will post progress updates on its Facebook page under the heading Behind the Scaffolding. The push to secure a permanent public library in Beaver Falls dates back further than the current building itself — a public library association made up of concerned citizens existed as early as 1883, according to Beaver County Pennsylvania History, with the goal of establishing a free public library for the community.
