Ontario Abandoned Places will be rebranded as Ominous Abandoned Places

Hespeler Idea Exchange (Hespeler Carnegie Library)

Active in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Dec 22 2022

 |  1997
 |  1
Recent status Active
Location # 19493

Hazards of Hespeler Idea Exchange (Hespeler Carnegie Library)

Active Building. It has hours. The police man is the “Active Security” as they would come REAL SOON. You would think they were waiting for you.

History of Hespeler Idea Exchange (Hespeler Carnegie Library)

“In January 1901 the Hespeler Free Public Library was established. The collection was housed in various locations. After many years, the library moved into it's own building built with the funds provided by the Carnegie Foundation on the corner of Tannery and Adam streets in 1923. In both 1984 and 1991, major renovations were done to the Hespeler Library due to its' communities growing needs.

Most recently instead of demolishing the building or moving to a new location, the Carnegie Library was encased in a modern glass structure which greatly expanded its' facilities. The new facilties opened on June 2007. Due to its' unique design, in 2004 the Canadian Architect Magazine selected the Hespeler Library design as one of the top ten architectural projects across Canada.”

- SOURCE OF PARAGRAPH

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After talking about this for a year, I went. Its a historic Carnegie Library with a cornerstone that reads 1922. That makes it 100 years old this year (2022). So nice, shot it as it is a century old. It is funny and far from my ideal preservation and repurposing but Ill be honest, its still standing in one way or another.


This is essentially the shell of the exterior of the original library, within a glass shell. A shell within a shell if you will. The glass case preservation is similar to the Old Post Office in Galt that is also on this site (LOC#2273) and the Old Post Office is also an Idea Exchange/Library. It just has much more original. The main thing that I had wanted to know was if the back wall was taken out and redone or if it was still intact brick under what appeared to be a smooth coating of concrete and white paint. I didnt shoot it all and missed the side that is the addition for the most part that has the seating area and the electric fireplace to chill and read. Far from perfect, perfect from afar.


Lastly, this may be the only place that I chose to shoot at night that probably worked better than in the day. Especially the exteriors with the light inside and the lack of reflections on the exterior glass panels. Ill shoot day exteriors one day, but I got my eye on a few things in this neck of the woods too…..

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