Oregon Civic Justice Center

Oregon Civic Justice Center
Exterior in 2008
Location in Salem, Oregon
Former names	Carnegie Building
General information
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
Location	Salem, Oregon, USA
Coordinates	44°56′17″N 123°01′58″W / 44.938155°N 123.032820°W / 44.938155; -123.032820Coordinates: 44°56′17″N 123°01′58″W / 44.938155°N 123.032820°W / 44.938155; -123.032820
Current tenants	Willamette University College of Law
Inaugurated	September 12, 1912
Cost	$30,000
Owner	Willamette University
Technical details
Floor count	3

The Oregon Civic Justice Center is a three-story former library building on the campus of Willamette University in downtown Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1912 as a Carnegie library for the city of Salem, the building now houses several programs of Willamette University College of Law. Prior to the law school's moving into the facility in 2008, the building was used by the adjacent Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) from 1971 to 2006.

Willamette purchased the old library in 2003 and later selected the College of Law as the program at the school to gain use of the building. The university began renovations in 2007 to restore part of the original layout and modernize the facility to accommodate the needs of modern education. After the brick-faced, Beaux Arts style structure was remodeled, community oriented programs from the law school relocated to the renamed Oregon Civic Justice Center. This center houses programs such as a legal clinic and the school's law review journal.

On October 12, 1901, the Salem Woman's Club was organized with the wife of Oregon Governor Theodore Thurston Geer serving as president of the organization. Two years later the group started the Salem Public Library at Geer's home, and then later located at Chemeketa and High streets in downtown Salem in the then city hall, with the library's collection totaling 50 books at that time. The library group hired a librarian, Miss F. Phillips, for a salary of $20 per month to run the library. In 1907, the group explored options to build a stand-alone library building using funds provided by Andrew Carnegie, who was providing funds for building libraries around the world.

In May 1909, the Woman’s Club purchased an option to buy the property on the southwest corner of Winter and State streets for $5500, which was located across State from Willson Park (a city park at that time). This group then raised the funds to purchase the land for $12,000, and Salem applied for a grant from the Carnegie foundation. The city was allotted $14,000 by the foundation to build a library, but the Women’s Club which owned the existing library and land had not been involved in the process. The organization was able to get the money rescinded, and in November 1910, worked with the city to increase their maintenance fund for the library. Carnegie then raised the grant to $27,500 at the lobbying of Lulu Bush (daughter-in-law to Asahel Bush) and the Woman’s Club deeded the lot and the other library assets to the city of Salem.