A Pictoral History of Tarble

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

Carnegie Library c. 1918, before the Friends Historical Library addition was built. That addition is all that still stands of the building. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

The main reading room of Carnegie Library, c. 1947. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library

The main entrance and signature bell tower of Carnegie Library in 1958. During the fire the bells fell more than 20 feet. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

Students hard at work in the reading room of Carnegie Library. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

The glass stacks of Carnegie Library in 1957. They were built in 1935 and torn down in 1967 when the building was renovated and turned into the Tarble Activity Center. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

The exterior of the Tarble Activity Center in March, 1978. The building looked out onto Parrish Beach. The section perpendicular to the rest was the Friends Historical Library addition, the only part to survive the fire of 1983. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

The main reading room of the library was turned into a large lounge space in the Tarble Activity Center. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

The Friends Historical Library housed a student snack bar after the 1967 renovations. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

Fire consumes the Tarble Activity Center before dawn on September 16th, 1983. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

Six fire companies were called in to fight the two-alarm fire. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

Salvaged books outside of the charred remains of the Tarble Activity Center shortly after the fire. Photo courtesy of Friends Historical Library.

The exterior of Old Tarble as it looks today. Photo by Mark Kharas

An ADA accessible ramp is currently being built outside of Old Tarble. This and an ADA bathroom will make the main floor fully ADA accessible. Photo by Mark Kharas

The largest Art Department studio space, where the Foundation class is taught, is located in Old Tarble. This space used to be the Friends Historical Library and a snack bar. Photo by Mark Kharas.

Mark Kharas

0 Comments Leave a Reply

Urooj Khan says:

September 16, 2007 at 6:44 pm

Wow, this is beautiful.

Reply

Latest from News

Controversy Surrounds Swarthmore Democratic Committee Endorsements

On Feb. 11, the Swarthmore Town Democratic Committee voted to endorse Conlen Booth’s candidacy for mayor, 15-4. Booth, currently the town’s Fire Chief, was running against Kristen Seymore, a member of the Borough Council and project coordinator for multinational civil engineering company

Swarthmore Begins Search for New Provost

On Feb. 27, President Val Smith announced in an email message to the community that Provost and Dean of the Faculty Tomoko Sakomura will not return to her administrative position, leaving open one of the most influential positions at the college. The

What Swarthmore’s Sanctuary Status Means for Undocumented Students Under Trump

As Trump’s second term renders federal immigration policy and enforcement uncertain and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been spotted in raids across the country, including ten miles away in Philadelphia, Swarthmore’s sanctuary status continues to be reevaluated and discussed. The

Breaking the Bubble: What the 2024 Election Revealed about Swarthmore’s Political Landscape

Swarthmore College is overwhelmingly liberal and regarded to be a politically active campus. Placed on a hill and considerably wealthier than the average population, the college can be considered insulated from broader political currents shaping Pennsylvania and the nation. However, the 2024

McCabe Curates Exhibition on Ed Ruscha’s Depictions of Urban Evolution

Tucked away on the second floor of McCabe Library is Cratsley Lounge, a relatively nondescript arrangement of armchairs and glass display cases. When passersby stop for even just a few seconds, however, they see that the cases are often filled with artwork