Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library

The Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library was established in 1907 with just a few hundred books. When Mae Goff Lowndes bequeathed Waldomore to the city of Clarksburg, the home became the new library space. The library continued to expand over the next several decades and by the 1970s, the library had outgrown the house. A new structure was commissioned on an adjacent piece of land and finished in 1975. The structure is one of the most architecturally unique works in Clarksburg. It was designed by Hamilton Smith and famous Bauhaus artist Marcel Breuer. Smith and Breuer took cues from other buildings in town and used brick as the primary building material. Enormous window walls invite viewers into the space while ample light floods through courtyards. These lighter touches are offset by the heavy masses of brick, which were common features of Breuer’s often Brutalist designs. Breuer was also famous for his furniture designs, many of which are still present in the library. The two-story Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library building provides a welcome modern contrast to the concentration of early twentieth century buildings commonly found throughout town.