Arlington Hills Library

Last updated
Arlington Hills Library
Arlington Hills Library 2012.jpg
Arlington Hills Library in 2012
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location1105 Greenbrier Street
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°58′28″N93°4′16″W / 44.97444°N 93.07111°W / 44.97444; -93.07111
Built1916
Built byCameron & Company
Architect Charles A. Hausler
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
MPS Carnegie Libraries of St. Paul TR
NRHP reference No. 84001660 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 10, 1984

The Arlington Hills Library is a 1916 Beaux Arts library building designed by Charles A. Hausler. It is one of three Carnegie Libraries in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [2] It served as the Arlington Hills Public Library, a branch of the St. Paul Public Library, from 1917 [3] until its relocation in 2014.

Contents

Architectural features

The rectangular footprint of the building allowed two large reading rooms on the main level, and an auditorium and other smaller rooms in the basement. The eighty-foot symmetrical facade features seven bays, three of which have large stone arches over windows or the doorway, and four which have rectangular windows and plaques. The facade also has twelve pilasters with Ionic capitals. This facade is topped with a stone parapet with pilasters and grill-work, which rests on a classical entablature. [4]

Relocation

The public library closed for relocation on Saturday, March 15, 2014 [5] and reopened at 1200 Payne Ave. on May 22, 2014, as part of the Arlington Hills Community Center in collaboration with the parks and recreation department. [6] The building went up for sale by the City of Saint Paul for adaptive reuse that would maintain the historic structure. [7]

East Side Freedom Library

The nonprofit East Side Freedom Library signed a lease with the city in March, 2014, [8] and will feature a reference book collection along with classrooms and meeting spaces for cultural events. [9] The East Side Freedom Library was expected to open in June, 2014, [9] but was delayed due to a need to replace the roof of the building. [8] The organization is fundraising and seeking grants to complete this and other work on the building. [8] The East Side Freedom Library began offering public programming in July, 2014. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis–Saint Paul</span> Metropolitan area in Minnesota, United States

Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Cities after the area's two largest cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Minnesotans often refer to the two together simply as "the cities". The area is Minnesota's economic, cultural, and political center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Paul Public Library</span> United States historic place

The Saint Paul Public Library is a library system serving the residents of Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The library system includes a Central Library, twelve branch locations, and a bookmobile. It is a member of the Metropolitan Library Service Agency, a consortium of eight Twin Cities library systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winona station</span>

Winona station, formerly known as the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Station, is a historic train station in Winona, Minnesota, United States. It is served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder service. It was originally built in 1888 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, known later as the Milwaukee Road. A former Milwaukee Road freight house also exists here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Saint Paul</span> Neighborhood in Ramsey, Minnesota, United States

Downtown Saint Paul is the central business district of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River to the south, University Avenue to the north, US 52 to the east, and Kellogg Avenue to the west. It is bounded by the Dayton's Bluff, Summit-University, West Seventh, Frogtown, West Side, and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods. The West Side neighborhood is on the other side of the river, and can be accessed via the Robert Street Bridge or the Wabasha Street Bridge. Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 run through the north side of the neighborhood, providing a separation between the Minnesota State Capitol and other state government buildings with the rest of downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walnut Street School (Reading, Massachusetts)</span> United States historic place

The Walnut Street School is a historic school building at 55 Hopkins Street in Reading, Massachusetts. A two-room schoolhouse built in 1854, it is the town's oldest public building. Since 1962 it has been home to the Quannapowitt Players, a local theatrical company. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hosmer Library</span> United States historic place

Hosmer Library, originally known as the Thirty-Sixth Street Branch Library, is a branch library of the Hennepin County Library system serving the Central neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It was named the Hosmer Library in honor of James Kendall Hosmer and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayzata station</span> Historic railway station in Minnesota, U.S.

Wayzata station is a historic train depot in Wayzata, Minnesota, United States. Constructed and operated by the Great Northern Railway, the station was in service from 1906 until 1971. The depot is positioned along Lake Minnetonka in downtown Wayzata with steps leading down to the lakeshore. Although no longer transporting passenger trains, the BNSF Railway line going through Wayzata is still active today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerstrand City Hall</span> United States historic place

Nerstrand City Hall is a historic city hall building in Nerstrand, Minnesota, United States, constructed in 1908. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on April 6, 1982, for having local significance in the theme of politics/government. It was nominated for being representative of Nerstrand's early growth, and for being Rice County's best example of municipal buildings of the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Building</span> United States historic place

The Minnesota Building is a historic office building in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on June 10, 2009. The building was noted for its design, which was a harbinger for the transition from Classical architecture to the Art Deco/Moderne among commercial buildings in downtown Saint Paul; originally designed in a conservative style, the building became more Moderne as it was being built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Branch Library</span> United States historic place

The Lincoln Branch Library is a former Carnegie library building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It was constructed from 1915 to 1917 as the first permanent home of a Duluth Public Library branch first established in 1892. The Lincoln Branch Library was built of brick and limestone in the Late Gothic Revival style. It was the last of the three Carnegie libraries built in Duluth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duluth Public Library (historic)</span> United States historic place

The historic Duluth Public Library is a former Carnegie library building at 101 West Second Street in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It was constructed in 1902 as the first purpose-built facility of the Duluth Public Library. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for its local significance in the themes of architecture and education. It was nominated for its Neoclassical architecture and association with early community education efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordell Carnegie Public Library</span> United States historic place

The Cordell Carnegie Public Library is a historic Carnegie library located at 105 E. First St. in New Cordell, Oklahoma. The library was built in 1911 through a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie foundation; New Cordell's Commercial Club, which had opened a reading room the previous year, solicited the grant. Architect A. A. Crowell designed the library in the Mission Revival style; several of its elements reflect the emerging Spanish Colonial Revival style. The building's curved parapet walls, exposed rafters, and original red tile roof are all characteristic Mission Revival elements; its segmental arches, sunburst moldings, and ornamental ironwork resemble Spanish Colonial Revival work. The library was the only one in Washita County until the 1960s; it also served as a community center and was regularly used by local schools. In 1982, a new library opened in New Cordell, and the Carnegie Library building became the Washita County Historical Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie Free Public Library (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)</span> United States historic place

The Carnegie Free Public Library, also known as the Carnegie Town Hall, is a historic Carnegie library located at 235 W. 10th St. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The library was built in 1903 through a $25,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation. Architect Joseph Schwartz designed the building, a Romanesque Revival structure with Neoclassical influences. The library was built from locally quarried quartzite, a popular local building material at the turn of the century. While the building's massive form and rough-hewn stone exterior are Romanesque, it features a Greek pediment above the entrance supported by four pilasters on either side of the doorway. The building represents the only use of Classical details in a quartzite building in Sioux Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Public Library (Madison, Maine)</span> United States historic place

The Madison Public Library is located at 12 Old Point Avenue in Madison, Maine. Built with funding support from Andrew Carnegie, it is one of the architecturally most unusual libraries in the state, with a distinctive octagonal tower and non-rectangular angled elements. It was designed by the local firm of Snow and Humphreys and completed in 1906. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake Public Library</span>

Drake Public Library is a public library located in Centerville, Iowa, United States. It was established in 1901, and the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie-Stout Public Library</span> Public library in Iowa

The Carnegie-Stout Public Library is located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The public library had its beginnings with the Young Men's Literary Association, established in 1859, and their book collection was the basis for the library's collection. The books were housed in a variety of buildings over the years. The community applied for a grant from Andrew Carnegie who on January 12, 1901, contributed $71,500 to build the library building. Local businessman Frank D. Stout donated the property, which was worth $20,000, in honor of his father Henry L. Stout. The two-story Bedford stone and brick building was designed by Chicago architects W. G. Williamson and John Spencer. It is considered one of the finest examples of the Classical tradition of Beaux-Arts architecture in Iowa. The main facade is dominated by a Roman Corinthian portico that was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. Its fluted columns are matched with pilasters on the wall behind. The building was dedicated on October 17, 1902, and it opened three days later. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and it was included as a contributing property in the Jackson Park Historic District in 1986. An addition was added to the east side of the building in 1981.

Charles Alfred Hausler was an American architect. Over his long career he had a major impact on the built environment of Saint Paul, Minnesota. As the first person to hold the office of city architect, he designed many public buildings, including Saint Paul's three Carnegie libraries. He also designed churches, commercial buildings, and homes in a variety of styles, including Neoclassical, Prairie School, and Art Deco.

The East Side Freedom Library is an independent, non-profit library in the East Side neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2013 by Beth Cleary and Peter Rachleff, it has occupied the Arlington Hills Carnegie library building since leasing it from the city of Saint Paul in 2014. The library's collections and programming focus on the labor history and diverse immigrant communities of the neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill</span> Historic church in Minnesota, United States

Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the Thomas-Dale neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota . Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN   978-0-87351-448-4.
  3. Gaut, Greg (2019). Reinventing the People's Library. Saint Paul, MN: East Side Freedom Library. p. 53. ISBN   9781095283479.
  4. Gaut, Greg. Reinventing the people's library (First ed.). St. Paul, MN. pp. 44–45. ISBN   978-1-0952-8347-9. OCLC   1107640697.
  5. Duchschere, Ken. "Arlington Hills Library on East Side Closes." Startribune.com. 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
  6. Melo, Frederick. "St. Paul Touts New Arlington Hills Rec Center as Boost for East Side." St. Paul Pioneer Press, 22 May 2014. Web. 04 June 2014.
  7. Anderson, Jim (2013-10-11). "St. Paul selling landmark Arlington Hills Library and fire station on East Side". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  8. 1 2 3 Larkin, Patrick. "New Carnegie library stewards want to "raise the roof"" LillieNews.com. Lillie Suburban Newspapers, 2 June 2014. Web. 16 June 2014.
  9. 1 2 Anderson, Jim. "New Chapter for St. Paul's Historic Arlington Hills Branch Library." StarTribune.com. 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
  10. Sturdevant, Andy. "'The Meddling Class' Finds Its Righteous Voice at East Side Freedom Library." MinnPost. 10 July 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.