Williams Free Library

Last updated
Williams Free Library
Williams Free Library tower.jpg
USA Wisconsin location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Wisconsin
Location 105 Park Ave.
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Coordinates 43°27′21″N88°50′12″W / 43.4559°N 88.8366°W / 43.4559; -88.8366 Coordinates: 43°27′21″N88°50′12″W / 43.4559°N 88.8366°W / 43.4559; -88.8366
Architect Walter Holbrook
NRHP reference # 74000079
Added to NRHP August 7, 1974

The Williams Free Library is a public building in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. It was the first public library in the United States to have open stacks. [1] While the building is no longer used as a library, its Richardsonian Romanesque design remains one of the city's architectural gems.

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin City in Wisconsin, United States of America

Beaver Dam is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The estimated population was 16,564 in 2016, making it the largest city primarily located in Dodge County. It is the principal city of the Beaver Dam Micropolitan Statistical area. The city is adjacent to the Town of Beaver Dam.

Wisconsin A north-central state of the United States of America

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state by total area and the 20th most populous. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee, which is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The state is divided into 72 counties.

Public library Library that is accessible by the public

A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants.

Contents

History

Founding

The library was founded in 1884 as the Beaver Dam Free City Library and was housed in a room in City Hall. In April 1890, John J. Williams, a wealthy local businessman, offered the library's board of directors $25,000 to construct a new building if, in exchange, the city would pay for the land. The Common Council agreed on April 15, 1890 to purchase a lot belonging to W.H. and T.D. Lawrence at Park Avenue and Spring Street, as well as an adjacent lot owned by Joseph Wagner on Park, for $12,200.

Construction

Plans were completed by Walter Holbrook of Edward Townsend Mix & Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in May 1890. The library's design was inspired by Henry Hobson Richardson. Construction began in July, with lot preparations completed by August. On August 26, Mayor E. Elwell declared a half-holiday for the cornerstone laying ceremony, which was executed by the local Masons. Collection of the required sandstone and limestone slowed construction, but work was completed in July 1891, with the building's dedication held on July 15, 1891. Thousands were in attendance, as it was held in conjunction with Beaver Dam's semi-centennial celebration.

Henry Hobson Richardson American architect

Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Hartford, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one of "the recognized trinity of American architecture".

Sandstone A clastic sedimentary rock composed mostly of sand-sized particles

Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized mineral particles or rock fragments.

Limestone Sedimentary rocks made of calcium carbonate

Limestone is a carbonate sedimentary rock that is often composed of the skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, foraminifera, and molluscs. Its major materials are the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). A closely related rock is dolomite, which contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2. In fact, in old USGS publications, dolomite was referred to as magnesian limestone, a term now reserved for magnesium-deficient dolomites or magnesium-rich limestones.

The doors of the library opened on September 1, 1891, with Mary J. Doolittle as its inaugural librarian. Its initial holdings were made up of 4,500 volumes.

Expansion

As the collection and city grew, the library outgrew the Williams building. The city built a new library incorporating the Williams Free Library, and opened the new Beaver Dam Community Library on North Spring Street in March 1984.

Dodge County Historical Society and Museum

The historic structure that formerly housed the library holdings is now rented for $1 per year to the Dodge County Historical Society and houses its museum. [2]

Dodge County, Wisconsin County in the United States

Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,759. Its county seat is Juneau. The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844.

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References

  1. "Library history". Beaver Dam Community Library. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  2. "Dodge County Museums". Mayville Limestone School Museum. Retrieved 27 June 2015.