Published September 9, 2012
By Iris Nelson
The elegant
Richardsonian Romanesque-style structure on the corner of Fourth and Maine
streets stands today as a prominent reminder of the importance of the public
library when it was built in 1888-1889.
Considered by citizens to be a cornerstone for the preservation of the
community’s cultural heritage and a fundamental necessity for the public
economic and educational welfare, the library was the pride of Quincy citizens.
Today the former library edifice of massive rough-cut limestone and rounded
arches anchors the southwest corner of Washington Park as it has since 1889.
Its classic landmark presence at 332 Maine is a testimony to what citizens
working together can accomplish. The financial and visionary initiative for
building a library was taken on by public-spirited citizens who rose to the
challenge before the days of Carnegie libraries. Andrew Carnegie, steel
industrialist and philanthropist, did not begin his large scale promotion to
help fund public libraries until after his retirement in 1901.
Choosing a location for the library building was one of the first
considerations. Some preferred a secluded place rather than along the
thoroughfare. The editor of the Quincy Daily Journal advocated the idea that
locating the public library facing a public park was the “best possible
selection that could be made” and noted, “Washington Park, for all time to
come, will be the center of Quincy.” Officials chose the commanding setting at
Fourth and Maine on July 29, 1887. The property was purchased for a price of
$12,100 in late July of 1887 with 76 feet fronting Maine Street and 100 feet on
Fourth Street.
Although a fee-based subscription library had been in existence for nearly 50
years, subscribers were only 2 percent of the population in the late 1870s.
Philanthropic members of the community identified the need for wider services
without charge to the general public. A small, free reading room, partially
sponsored by the Temperance Society, also had been established. With a decision
to combine the two organizations into the Quincy Library Association and a commitment
from the city of not lessthan $5,000 annually for operating funds, building
plans proceeded. Sarah Denman, a philanthropic and educational leader of
Quincy, offered $5,000 toward an endowment fund if others would contribute an
additional $15,000 to launch a campaign. Denman and other philanthropic
citizens, such as civic leader Lorenzo Bull, had the economic capacity and
leadership confidence to build a library without external help.
The Quincy Daily Journal newspaper on Jan. 7, 1887, advocated for a free
library and took the lead in publishing instructive Illinois library laws to
clarify the legal transition from the fee-based Quincy Library Association to a
free public library supported by the city for all citizens.
After several public meetings and careful movement toward the end goal, Chicago
architects Patton and Fisher (1885-1902)designed a meticulously envisioned
library. The Romanesque style was similar to previous work by Normand Patton
who had recently designed the Scoville Institute in Oak Park, once the Oak Park
Public Library. Patton (1851-1915) had been trained at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology during the 1870s. In 1874 he moved to Chicago and in
1876 spent time in Washington, D.C., before his return to Chicago in 1882.
Patton’s later partnership firm, Patton and Miller, designed more than 100
Carnegie libraries, making the design of libraries and other educational
buildings Patton’s area of expertise.
When blueprints were completed, an article in The Daily Whig on
Dec. 27, 1887, referred to the well-composed library as one of “great
convenience and architectural beauty.” A highly descriptive
analysis and depiction of the proposed floor plan
followed, which included size, shape, and purposes of each
area. The second floor 56- x 24-foot reading room
featured wood-vaulted ceiling 21-feet-high. The building would be two
stories with a circular corner tower that rose to three stories allowing views of the
Mississippi River and Washington Park. The “Tower Room” was designed to add
height to the library so it would not be dwarfed by nearby buildings.
Originally the Tower Room had no designated use but citizens were quick to add
how they thought the room with a view might be utilized.
Six months later on May 31, 1888, and a year before the opening of the library,
the cornerstone was put in place on the northeast corner. The fanfare included
500 children who sang, the Olker Band, and the Arion Quartet. Lorenzo Bull gave
an address recalling the original 1841 library and the progress of the city of
Quincy since that time.
When the library opened its doors on June 24, 1889, monetary and organizational
supporters were recognized for their work in having given the Gem City one of
its richest jewels. The Quincy Daily Journal announced “The library is open —
it is a grand monument to the tireless efforts of its promoters.” Free of debt,
the Quincy Library Association turned the library over to the directors of the
free public library. Replete with glowing adjectives it was asserted that
the magnifi cent institution “makes one’s mouth water, figuratively speaking,
to see the rows and tiers of books … in this cozy temple of knowledge.”
The total cost of the architecturally significant library was $45,000. It was
listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. A stucco exterior
addition, designed by Quincy architect Ernest M. Wood, was added to the
original structure in 1929.
For 85 years the library occupied this prime real estate in downtown Quincy. In
1974 Quincy philanthropist John Willis Gardner bought the property when the
Quincy Public Library moved to Sixth and Jersey. Gardner secured the property
to preserve an important piece of Quincy’s history that might otherwise have
been demolished. The old library became the Gardner Museum of Architecture and
Design.
Today the structure is at another crossroads. The landmark building is again in
need of a visionary initiative that will preserve the architecture and the
legacy of the two significant institutions that once occupied its walls. One
hundred and twenty five years after the conception of the building was
initially outlined, there is an opportunity for public-spirited citizens to
once again rise to the challenge.
Public input sought about future library,
Gardner Museum
Public-spirited
citizens built the public library on the corner of Fourth and Maine in 1888,
before the days of Carnegie libraries; 85 years later a local philanthropist
made it possible to preserve the old library as the Gardner Museum of
Architecture and Design.
The museum is now owned by the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County,
which has asked a Blue Ribbon Committee to identify options for future use of
the building. Suggestions and offers of support for the Gardner Museum are
still being sought from the public. Ideas may be submitted by email to
gredf@gredf. org or by talking to members of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
The Society would like to continue the mission of the Gardner Museum and add
historical exhibits, if public support makes this possible. Otherwise, creative
partnerships to provide for the highest use possible will be pursued or the
building will be sold if no other feasible options are identified.
Members of the Blue
Ribbon Committee include Reg Ankrom, Chuck Bevelheimer, Travis Brown
(co-chair), Helen Bumbry, Carla Gosney, John Johannes, Jim Mentesti (co-chair),
Chuck McClain, Hal Oakley, and Richard Walz.
Iris Nelson is reference librarian and archivist at Quincy Public Library, a
civic volunteer, and member of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Interpretive Center
Advisory Board and other historical organizations. She is a local historian and
author.
Sources
“Laying the
Cornerstone – Quincy’s Magnificent Imposing Public Library Building.”
Quincy Daily Whig. June 1, 1888.
“Open
Tomorrow.” Quincy Daily Whig. June 23, 1889.
“The Library, It’s
Open-It is a Grand Monument to the Tireless Efforts of Its Promoters.” Quincy
Daily Journal. June 24, 1889.
“The New Library
Building.” Quincy Daily Journal. March 20, 1888.
“The Public
Library.” Quincy Daily Whig. January 25, 1887.
“The Public
Library, First Annual Report of the Directors to the Council.” Quincy
Daily Whig. June 21, 1889.
“The Quincy
Library, Annual Report of the Directors to Stockholders.” Quincy Daily
Whig. December 16, 1886.
Van Slyck, Abigail
Ayres. Free to All: Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1995.
“Where We Will
Read.” Quincy Daily Whig. December 27, 1887.
