Taylors Falls Public Library

Taylors Falls Public Library is the public library of Taylors Falls, Minnesota, United States, still operating in its original 19th-century building. Originally constructed as a tailor shop in 1854, the building was remodeled and converted into a library in 1887. Taylors Falls Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 for its local significance in the themes of architecture and education.[2] It was nominated for being an intact example of small-town libraries as they existed before Carnegie libraries and bookmobiles, and for its Carpenter Gothic/Stick style architecture.[3]

Taylors Falls Public Library
Taylors Falls Public Library from the south-southeast
Location473 Bench Street, Taylors Falls, Minnesota
Coordinates45°24′14.3″N 92°39′10.4″W
Area.25 acres (0.10 ha)
Built1854, remodeled 1887
Built byJohn Jacob Spengler, remodeled by Thomas Peck
Architectural styleCarpenter Gothic/Stick style
NRHP reference No.70000290[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1970

Description

Taylors Falls Public Library is a one-story, two-room building measuring 32 feet (9.8 m) long and 14 feet (4.3 m) wide. It is of wood frame construction with clapboard siding on a sandstone foundation. The front door is capped by a Gothic Revival canopy and flanked by Stick style windows with Eastlake Movement decorations. Elaborately sawn and turned ornaments adorn the bargeboards and front façade. A 14-by-7-foot (4.3 by 2.1 m) lean-to abuts the rear.[3]

Inside the front room features a plastered barrel-vault ceiling, while the back room has a pressed tin ceiling.[3]

History

The building was originally constructed as a simple tailor shop in 1854 by John Jacob Spengler, who operated his business in the front and lived in the back room with his family. Spengler sewed uniforms for Union soldiers during the American Civil War. In 1887 the building was sold to the Taylors Falls Library Association for use as a library. Thomas Peck converted the building to its new use and added ornamentation typical of the late 19th century. The rear lean-to was added some time later.[3][4]

The library continues to operate in the building, with a collection of 10,000 items.[5]

Taylors Falls Public Library in 1934

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Taylors Falls Public Library". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  3. Cavin, Brooks (1970-04-13). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Taylors Falls Public Library" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-08-26. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "1880s: Taylors Falls Public Library". Getaways through the Years. Minnesota Historical Society. 2007. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  5. "Taylors Falls Public Library". City of Taylors Falls. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
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