Cadillac Public Library

The Cadillac Carnegie Public Library, now the Wexford County Historical Society Museum, was constructed as a Carnegie Library located at 127 Beech Street in Cadillac, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[1]

Wexford County Historical Society Museum
Location127 Beech St., Cadillac, Michigan
Coordinates44°15′7″N 85°23′55″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1906 (1906)
Built byFreuchtel Construction Company
ArchitectScheurmann & Merriam Architects
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.07001020[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 28, 2007
Designated MSHSNovember 2, 1980[2]

History

In 1903, the Andrew Carnegie Foundation agreed to donate $15,000 toward the cost of a new library in Cadillac, subject to the community raising matching funds.[3] The Cadillac Literary Society matched the funds,[2] and in 1904 Scheurmann & Merriam Architects of Saginaw, Michigan were selected to design the building, and Freuchtel Construction Company was selected to be the building contractor.[3] The library was completed in 1906 at a cost of $30,000.[2] The building served as a public library until 1969.

After that time, it was used by the Cadillac Police Department until 1977, after which it was considered for demolition.[3] The city accepted the Wexford County Historical Society's proposal to use the building as a museum, and it became the Wexford County Historical Society Museum.[2]

Description

The Cadillac Public Library is a single story polygonal Classical Revival brick building sitting on a raised stone foundation.[2] It has a shallow-pitched hip roof with a low-pitched dome. The entryway in through a simple door flanked by Ionic columns and surmounted with a semi-circular window.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Cadillac Public Library". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on 2013-10-25. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  3. About Us, Wexford County Historical Society Museum, retrieved October 25, 2013
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