At the turn of the 20th century, industrialist Andrew Carnegie began donating millions of dollars for the construction of public libraries in the United States. In 1901, J.B. Dow, the president of the Beloit public library board petitioned Carnegie for funds to construct a new library building. In return, the Beloit library board was granted $25,000 to construct the building on the condition that the city appropriate $2,500 each year for its maintenance.
