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One of Calgary’s oldest and grandest public buildings, the Memorial Park Library and its surrounding park, have been granted special status as a national historic site.

The library received the designation, along with 16 other candidates, on Jan. 12, according to an announcement by Parks Canada.

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The venerable building, which presides over carefully maintained formal gardens in the Beltline, served as Calgary’s main library branch from its opening in 1912 until 1963.

It was built thanks to the efforts of a group of local women, including one of Calgary’s cultural pioneers, Annie Davidson.

“This group had advocated for the establishment of a free public library in Calgary for years, arguing that it would help turn the booming western town into a mature city,” Parks Canada said in a statement about the designation.

The funding came from a donation provided by the famous American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. He funded the construction of libraries across the world, including 125 libraries in Canada — three of them in Alberta.