Cordell Carnegie Public Library

Last updated
Cordell Carnegie Public Library
Cordell Carnegie Public Library (22423712423).jpg
Former library, now the Washita County Historical Museum, in 2015.
USA Oklahoma location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location105 E. First St., Cordell, Oklahoma
Coordinates 35°17′33″N98°59′22″W / 35.29250°N 98.98944°W / 35.29250; -98.98944 Coordinates: 35°17′33″N98°59′22″W / 35.29250°N 98.98944°W / 35.29250; -98.98944
Arealess than one acre
Built1911 (1911)
Built byBass, D.C.
ArchitectCrowell, A.A.
Architectural styleMission Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No. 89001966 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1989

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. [2]

Contents

History

The Cordell Commercial Club established a Library Committee in early Spring of 1910. with I. M. Brill, as chairman of the committee. The committee's assignment was to establish a public library by collecting books and obtaining a grant from the Carnegie Foundation. The committee had built up a collection of 700 books by April 1910, through donations or purchases. By June, the Commercial Club had found sufficient space to open a reading room. In the fall of 1910, the Cordell City Council passed a 2-mill tax, which was earmarked for a library operating fund, a prerequisite for application for a Carnegie grant. [lower-alpha 1] The grant for up to $10,000 was approved in January 1911. Construction bids were solicited. On June 8, a contract for $7,967 was awarded to the successful bidder, D. C. Bass Company, of Enid, Oklahoma. The Carnegie Foundation later provided an additional $1,000 for additional work on the project. The library opened for use on January 18, 1912. [2]

Cordell Carnegie Library was the only public library in Washita County until a small library was built in Sentinel, Oklahoma during the 1960s. However, the local paper (the Cordell Beacon), indicated that, as of January 28, 1981, individuals and school groups throughout the county continued their extensive use of the Cordell library. [2]

NRHP listing

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places (as NRIS # 89001966) on November 13, 1989, under NRHP Criteria A and C. [1] The Period of Significance is given as 1911 - 1939. It is also listed as a Contributing Structure for the New Cordell Courthouse Square Historic District, on the National Register (NRIS = # 98001592. [3] Shortly after this statement was made, funding was provided by the city to pay for a new library structure. The old Carnegie Library became the property of the City of Cordell, which negotiated a long-term lease with the Cordell Historical Society to use the building as a museum. [2]

Building description

Exterior

The building is rectangular and measures 19 feet (5.8 m) north to south, and 42.5 feet (13.0 m) east to west. The first floor rises a half story above a full basement. It has a hipped roof, with mission-style parapets rising from the east and west walls and extending almost to the height of the ridge line. Steel rods that stabilize the parapets are terminated at each end with scrolled iron pieces. The original red tile Mission-style roof was removed in the 1950s and replaced with composition shingles. A safety handrail was installed on the front steps in 1985. Neither of these changes are judged to have altered the integrity of the building's location, setting, design, materials and/or workmanship. [2]

The south elevation is the front of the building and has three bays. The entry is in the center bay, which is recessed between pilasters and under a compound segmented arch. The bays flanking the entry also have a compound segmented arch, but which contain a set of triple, single-light windows. Over each window is an arched transom, set with a stained-glass light. The center windows have been raised to allow installation of a window-type air cooler. The front facade also has paired double-hung basement windows, set in concrete window wells, with the top sash is above ground level. On the west side first floor, there is a single-light window on each side of the chimney; each is topped by a stained-glass transom; and set under a segmental arch. On the east side, there is a window identical to those on the west side. There is a smaller single-light window above a ground floor entrance to the basement. The basement windows have rowlock brick lintels and wood sills. The north facade has three arched, stained-glass transoms identical to those of the front facade. Sashes and frames of all windows are original. [2]

The building has three entrances. The front entry is now an aluminum-frame door with plate glass. [lower-alpha 2] On the east side, near the northeast corner, is a ground-level entrance having a solid-core wood door, which replaced an older door in 1984. [2]

Interior

At the time of the NRHP Application (1989), the building's interior was essentially unchanged from the original construction. There were two exceptions: (1) the original wood floor had been covered with carpet, and (2) the original plastered ceiling had been concealed by a drop ceiling with fluorescent fixtures. Both of these had been installed in the 1980s. [2]

The first floor still consists of one large room (formerly the reading room). All of the interior woodwork and trim are original. [2]

Notes

  1. The Oklahoma Territorial Legislature had passed an act in 1903 that authorized cities with a population of 5,000 persons or more to levy a property tax of 2 mills per thousand dollars of assessed valuation to fund library operations. [2]
  2. Originally, this was a wooden door with fifteen-light panels. [2]

Related Research Articles

Alamo Plaza Historic District United States historic place

The Alamo Plaza Historic District is a historic district of downtown San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It includes the Alamo, which is a separately listed Registered Historic Place and a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District United States historic place

The Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District is a historic district located on East Jefferson Avenue between Eastlawn Street and Alter Road in Detroit, Michigan. The district is the only continuously intact commercial district remaining along East Jefferson Avenue, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Walden United Methodist Church

The Historic Walden United Methodist Church is located on West Main Street in Walden, New York, United States. It was desanctified in 2013 and sold by the congregation on November 24, 2014. The current location is at 1206 New York State Route 52, Walden, New York, United States. Ground was broken on a new House of Worship in September 2019 and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2020.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church Historic structure in Austin, Texas

Gethsemane Lutheran Church is a historic Lutheran church in downtown Austin, Texas. Designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building currently holds offices of the Texas Historical Commission.

George and Mary Pine Smith House United States historic place

The George and Mary Pine Smith House is a private house located at 3704 Sheldon Road, near Sheldon in Canton Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

James A. Redden Federal Courthouse United States historic place

The James A. Redden Federal Courthouse, formerly the United States Post Office and Courthouse, is a federal courthouse located in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1916 under the supervision of architect Oscar Wenderoth, it houses the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. A substantial extension was completed in 1940, under the supervision of architect, Louis A. Simon. In September 1996, the United States Senate enacted a bill introduced by Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield to rename the building for long-serving District Court judge James A. Redden.

Sacramento Masonic Temple United States historic place

The Sacramento Masonic Temple, built between 1913 and 1918, is a five-story building on J Street in downtown Sacramento, California. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

City Market (Davenport, Iowa) United States historic place

City Market is a historic building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

Walter Merchant House United States historic place

The Walter Merchant House, on Washington Avenue in Albany, New York, United States, is a brick-and-stone townhouse in the Italianate architectural style, with some Renaissance Revival elements. Built in the mid-19th century, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Manchester Town Hall Extension

Manchester Town Hall Extension was built between 1934 and 1938 to provide additional accommodation for local government services. It was built between St Peter's Square and Lloyd Street in Manchester city centre, England. English Heritage designated it a grade II* listed building on 3 October 1974. Its eclectic style was designed to be a link between the ornate Gothic Revival Manchester Town Hall and the Classical architecture of the Central Library.

Rensselaer Carnegie Library United States historic place

The Rensselaer Carnegie Library in Rensselaer, Indiana is a building from 1905. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The building no longer functions as a library; since 1992 it houses the Prairie Arts Council, a local performing arts organization.

Exeter Public Library United States historic place

The Exeter Public Library is a Carnegie library located at 309 S. E St. in Exeter, California. The library was built in 1916 with a $5000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation; it was one of six Carnegie libraries built in Tulare County. Exeter's library program had been started in 1910 by the city Women's Club but lacked its own building prior to the construction of the Carnegie Library. The library was designed in the Mission Revival style by A. Merrill Bowser, whose plans were selected from three designs submitted to James Bertram. The design includes a low hip roof, a gabled parapet, and a wide entrance with panels of glass to the sides of the door. A Union Jack motif is used in the windows and the transom above the front door. The building served as the city's library until 1976, when it became a community center. It is one of two surviving Carnegie libraries in Tulare County, the other being the Orosi Branch Library.

Colusa Carnegie Library United States historic place

The Colusa Carnegie Library, at 260 Sixth St. in Colusa, California, is a Carnegie library built in 1906 that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has also been known as the Carnegie Library Building and the City of Colusa Police Department.

St. Luke Building United States historic place

St. Luke Building is a historic office building located in Richmond, Virginia. Built in 1902-1903, the St. Luke Building is located on a lot in the southeast corner of a block defined by St. James Street to the east, West Baker Street to the south, St. John Street to the west, and West Charity Street to the north. From the headquarters building, Maggie L. Walker oversaw operations of the Independent Order of St. Luke. Founded in 1869, the Order’s mission to foster African-American economic independence was largely realized under the leadership of trailblazing African American businesswoman Maggie Lena Walker through enterprises housed in the St. Luke Building. The building also housed the St. Luke Herald newspaper, the St. Luke Educational Fund, the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, and the St. Luke Emporium. Walker was the first African American woman to found a bank in U.S. history, and she leveraged her entrepreneurial success to advocate for African Americans’ civil rights. The office of Maggie L. Walker has been preserved as it was at the time of her death in 1934.

Our Lady of the Assumption Convent, Warwick

Our Lady of Assumption Convent is a heritage-listed former Roman Catholic convent at 8 Locke Street, Warwick, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Simkin & Ibler and built from 1891 to 1914. It is also known as Assumption College, Cloisters, and Sophia College. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

Hobart Carnegie Library United States historic place

Hobart Carnegie Library, also known as the Hobart Historical Society Museum, is a historic Carnegie library located at Hobart, Lake County, Indiana. It was built in 1914-1915, and is a one-story, Tudor Revival style brick building. The building has a high-pitched slate gable roof and a polygonal bay with leaded glass windows and entry porch. The building was constructed with a $16,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation.

Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church United States historic place

Mount Pisgah Lutheran Church, also known in its early years as the First Lutheran Church and First English Lutheran Church and more recently as The Sanctuary on Penn, is located at 701 North Pennsylvania Street in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The historic church was built by the city's first Lutheran congregation, which organized in 1837, and was its third house of worship. The former church, whose present-day name is The Sanctuary on Penn, is operated as a for-profit event venue.

Saginaw Armory United States historic place

The Saginaw Armory is a former National Guard installation located at 234 South Water Street in Saginaw, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Downtown Montevallo Historic District United States historic place

The Downtown Montevallo Historic District in Montevallo, Alabama is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. It included 30 contributing buildings and four non-contributing buildings.

Hotel Love United States historic place

Hotel Love, at 200 W. Main St. in Purcell, Oklahoma, was built in 1896. It was restored by Jerry and Elaine Butler in 1993 and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Everett, Dianna (May 2, 1989). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Cordell Carnegie Public Library". National Park Service . Retrieved September 9, 2014. Accompanied by photos
  3. Meacham, Maryjo (June 1, 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: New Cordell Courthouse Square Historic District". National Park Service . Retrieved September 8, 2014. Accompanied by photos