Oregon Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Public Library is located in Oregon, Illinois
, United States, the county seat of Ogle County
. The building is a public library
that was constructed in 1909. Prior to 1909, Oregon's library was housed in different buildings, none of which were designed to house a library. The library was built using a grant from wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
. The grant was obtained after Oregon's citizens voted to change Oregon's library from a city library to a township library. The building was completed by 1908 but the library did not begin operation until 1909.
The Oregon Library was designed by Chicago architects Pond and Pond
. The Pond's were members of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony
, founded by Lorado Taft
, and their association with Taft and the colony led them to design the library. Their design was influenced by the colony, and a combination of two architectural styles, Classical Revival and the Arts and Crafts movement
. The completed library included a second floor art gallery
to which members of Eagle's Nest donated works for a permanent collection. The gallery's collection includes 64 paintings and sculptures as well as a Currier and Ives
lithograph collection appraised at US$
700,000. The Oregon Public Library was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 2003, three years later it was included as a contributing property
in a historic district
that received the National Register designation.
was organized in 1872, though it had no building of its own. Before the library had its own building, library books were stored in a drug store and then in the County Treasurer's office. Eventually the Oregon Library occupied rented office space in the First National Bank building. This situation persisted until 1905 when Oregon voters voiced their collective opinion on the library's future.
The citizens of Oregon were faced with a dilemma in 1905: either allow Oregon's library to remain, truly, Oregon's city library, or, by referendum
, allow Oregon's library to make the shift into a township
library. This change would allow the library one distinct advantage; it would qualify the library for a grant from Andrew Carnegie
for the construction of a new building. Initially, Carnegie promised US$
7,000 for the new library but once voters approved the change the grant amount was increased to $10,000. The grant, aside from requiring the library to hold "township library" status, required a site to be selected prior to the grant application process; a site, at the corner of Oregon's Jefferson and Third Streets, was selected.
Even before the library was built, members of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony
were pushing for the new building to include a second-story art gallery
. The colony, founded in 1898 by sculptor Lorado Taft
, was based on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon. Later in Carnegie's philanthropy his secretary James Bertram laid out strict requirements, including requirements which discouraged multiple uses for Carnegie libraries. Another requirement stipulated that Bertram approve library plans prior to grant approval or construction. The Oregon library, however, was constructed before Bertram's requirements were published and includes the gallery.
The art colony at Eagle's Nest was populated by Chicago artists, all members of the Chicago Art Institute or the University of Chicago
art department, who gathered in Ogle County to escape the summer heat of Chicago. Two of the charter members of the art colony were the Chicago architects, Allen and Irving Kane Pond
, who designed the Oregon Public Library building. It was the Ponds' association with the Eagle's Nest Art Colony that led them to design the library.
The building was constructed after the Carnegie grant approval, and its first use came in October 1908 by Leon A. Malkielski, a colony member, for an exhibition of 100 paintings. The library proper did not begin providing its services until 1909. The colony tried to contribute to area culture by requiring its members to hold art shows, lectures, and other exhibitions throughout the early 20th century. With the library complete it began to play a role in those exhibitions. Hamlin Garland
, a 1921 Pulitzer Prize
recipient for literature, spoke at the Oregon library while he was a member of the Eagle's Nest Colony.
at the original site of the Eagle's Nest Colony. The entire permanent collection consists of 32 paintings and 32 sculptures from Eagle's Nest artists. A citizen left the library a Currier and Ives
lithograph collection which contains 46 Currier and Ives lithographs and 14 lithographs by Nathaniel Currier
. The two collections have been appraised at over $700,000.
In addition to the substantial historical art collection held by the library gallery the collection consists of works by local artists. One Oregon resident has donated artwork from the annual Grand Detour
Art Show regularly. Other area residents have donated pieces as well. In all, the library holds about 30 contemporary works by local artists.
The library is designed with an eye toward late 19th century and early 20th century movements in architecture. While it contains many elements common to Classical Revival architecture the building's asymmetry and playfully creative style are distinctly characteristic of the Arts and Crafts Movement
. The building was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Pond and Pond and is constructed of buff colored brick. Red brick belt coursing and accents contrast the buff colored brick on the majority of the facade. The two-story Oregon Public Library has a full brick basement and approximately 5,500 foot² (511 m²) of floor space.
The building, though based on Classical architecture
is not entirely a Classical building. Its rooflines, main entrance, and the placement and style of the windows are all asymmetrical in nature, a hallmark of the Arts and Crafts style
. Its simple massing and noticeable lack of ornamentation throughout the structure connects the building closely to the Arts and Crafts movement. This influence is seen most prominently on the building's interior.
Though Arts and Crafts is specifically regarded as a movement within architecture, as opposed to a full-blown style, there are elements that are considered typical to buildings designed in the style. Examples include, dark, heavy woodwork and very simple ornamentation. The Oregon Public Library contains functional elements associated with that movement. Dark woodwork is found throughout the building, first in the stairwell to the gallery and its baluster
s and newel
posts and then in the four-panel wooden interior door. The ceilings are coffer
ed and have exposed wooden beams. Also located in the interior is a large 1909 wooden floor clock, a built-in storage cabinet, and two wooden fuse boxes that all evoke the Arts and Crafts movement.
The building does demonstrate elements of Classical Revival architecture but they are minimal and concentrated around the front entrance. Below the front entrance hood there are two stone pilaster
s and a stone lintel, as well as relief
work adorning the pediment
; leading to the front entrance are seven concrete stairs. The entire entry facade is a gable
-front, temple style design and on the library's east wing there are stone-capped modified buttress
es. Each of these elements demonstrates the Classical Revival style.
on May 9, 2003 for its architectural and educational significance. The building represents a good example of the Arts and Crafts movement in architecture. As a Carnegie library, the Oregon Public Library satisfied the requirements laid out for listing on the National Register in the Illinois Carnegie Libraries
Multiple Property Submission. When the Oregon Commercial Historic District
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 the Oregon Library was included as a contributing property
. The library building is considered the most "outstanding" of the Craftsman
or Arts and Crafts buildings within the historic district
boundaries.
Oregon, Illinois
Oregon is a city located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 3,721, down from 4,060 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ogle County.- History :...
, United States, the county seat of Ogle County
Ogle County, Illinois
Ogle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,497, which is an increase of 4.8% from 51,032 in 2000. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle...
. The building is a public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
that was constructed in 1909. Prior to 1909, Oregon's library was housed in different buildings, none of which were designed to house a library. The library was built using a grant from wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. The grant was obtained after Oregon's citizens voted to change Oregon's library from a city library to a township library. The building was completed by 1908 but the library did not begin operation until 1909.
The Oregon Library was designed by Chicago architects Pond and Pond
Pond and Pond
Pond and Pond was an American architecture firm established by the Chicago architects Irving Kane Pond and Allen Bartlitt Pond.-Overview:Working in the Arts and Crafts idiom, the brothers gained renown for elaborately detailed brickwork and irregular massing of forms. One of their earliest...
. The Pond's were members of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony
Eagle's Nest Art Colony
The Eagle's Nest Art Colony, the site known in more modern times as the Lorado Taft Field Campus, was founded in 1898 by American sculptor Lorado Taft on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon, Illinois...
, founded by Lorado Taft
Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.-Early years and education:...
, and their association with Taft and the colony led them to design the library. Their design was influenced by the colony, and a combination of two architectural styles, Classical Revival and the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
. The completed library included a second floor art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
to which members of Eagle's Nest donated works for a permanent collection. The gallery's collection includes 64 paintings and sculptures as well as a Currier and Ives
Currier and Ives
Currier and Ives was a successful American printmaking firm headed by Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives . Based in New York City from 1834–1907, the prolific firm produced prints from paintings by fine artists as black and white lithographs that were hand colored...
lithograph collection appraised at US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
700,000. The Oregon Public Library was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003, three years later it was included as a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
in a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
that received the National Register designation.
History
While the library building dates to the early 20th century the move toward intellectual outreach in Oregon started years before. The first Oregon libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
was organized in 1872, though it had no building of its own. Before the library had its own building, library books were stored in a drug store and then in the County Treasurer's office. Eventually the Oregon Library occupied rented office space in the First National Bank building. This situation persisted until 1905 when Oregon voters voiced their collective opinion on the library's future.
The citizens of Oregon were faced with a dilemma in 1905: either allow Oregon's library to remain, truly, Oregon's city library, or, by referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
, allow Oregon's library to make the shift into a township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
library. This change would allow the library one distinct advantage; it would qualify the library for a grant from Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
for the construction of a new building. Initially, Carnegie promised US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7,000 for the new library but once voters approved the change the grant amount was increased to $10,000. The grant, aside from requiring the library to hold "township library" status, required a site to be selected prior to the grant application process; a site, at the corner of Oregon's Jefferson and Third Streets, was selected.
Eagle's Nest influence
Eagle's Nest Art Colony
The Eagle's Nest Art Colony, the site known in more modern times as the Lorado Taft Field Campus, was founded in 1898 by American sculptor Lorado Taft on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon, Illinois...
were pushing for the new building to include a second-story art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
. The colony, founded in 1898 by sculptor Lorado Taft
Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.-Early years and education:...
, was based on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon. Later in Carnegie's philanthropy his secretary James Bertram laid out strict requirements, including requirements which discouraged multiple uses for Carnegie libraries. Another requirement stipulated that Bertram approve library plans prior to grant approval or construction. The Oregon library, however, was constructed before Bertram's requirements were published and includes the gallery.
The art colony at Eagle's Nest was populated by Chicago artists, all members of the Chicago Art Institute or the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
art department, who gathered in Ogle County to escape the summer heat of Chicago. Two of the charter members of the art colony were the Chicago architects, Allen and Irving Kane Pond
Irving Kane Pond
Irving Kane Pond was an American architect, college athlete, and author.Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pond attended the University of Michigan and received a degree in civil engineering in 1879...
, who designed the Oregon Public Library building. It was the Ponds' association with the Eagle's Nest Art Colony that led them to design the library.
The building was constructed after the Carnegie grant approval, and its first use came in October 1908 by Leon A. Malkielski, a colony member, for an exhibition of 100 paintings. The library proper did not begin providing its services until 1909. The colony tried to contribute to area culture by requiring its members to hold art shows, lectures, and other exhibitions throughout the early 20th century. With the library complete it began to play a role in those exhibitions. Hamlin Garland
Hamlin Garland
Hannibal Hamlin Garland was an American novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his fiction involving hard-working Midwestern farmers.- Biography :...
, a 1921 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
recipient for literature, spoke at the Oregon library while he was a member of the Eagle's Nest Colony.
Collections
The gallery on the second floor of the library building was not formally dedicated until July 4, 1918. That date marked the beginning of the library's permanent collection, which started with additions from members of the Eagle's Nest Colony. Members donated twelve statues, twenty oil paintings, and four portraits to the permanent collection of the art gallery. One of the statues in the collection is a 4-foot (1.2-m) plaster study of The Eternal Indian by Lorado Taft. It was completed in 1908 as he prepared to create the Black Hawk StatueBlack Hawk Statue
The Black Hawk Statue, or The Eternal Indian, is a sculpture by Lorado Taft located in Lowden State Park which is near the city of Oregon, Illinois. The statue is perched over the Rock River on a 77 foot bluff overlooking the city.-History:...
at the original site of the Eagle's Nest Colony. The entire permanent collection consists of 32 paintings and 32 sculptures from Eagle's Nest artists. A citizen left the library a Currier and Ives
Currier and Ives
Currier and Ives was a successful American printmaking firm headed by Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives . Based in New York City from 1834–1907, the prolific firm produced prints from paintings by fine artists as black and white lithographs that were hand colored...
lithograph collection which contains 46 Currier and Ives lithographs and 14 lithographs by Nathaniel Currier
Nathaniel Currier
Nathaniel Currier was an American lithographer, who headed the company Currier & Ives with James Ives.-Early years:...
. The two collections have been appraised at over $700,000.
In addition to the substantial historical art collection held by the library gallery the collection consists of works by local artists. One Oregon resident has donated artwork from the annual Grand Detour
Grand Detour, Illinois
Grand Detour, Illinois is an unincorporated census-designated place in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 429. The village is named after an odd turn in the Rock River, which flows north past the village, rather than its normal southwestern course.Grand...
Art Show regularly. Other area residents have donated pieces as well. In all, the library holds about 30 contemporary works by local artists.
Architecture
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
. The building was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Pond and Pond and is constructed of buff colored brick. Red brick belt coursing and accents contrast the buff colored brick on the majority of the facade. The two-story Oregon Public Library has a full brick basement and approximately 5,500 foot² (511 m²) of floor space.
The building, though based on Classical architecture
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
is not entirely a Classical building. Its rooflines, main entrance, and the placement and style of the windows are all asymmetrical in nature, a hallmark of the Arts and Crafts style
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
. Its simple massing and noticeable lack of ornamentation throughout the structure connects the building closely to the Arts and Crafts movement. This influence is seen most prominently on the building's interior.
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
s and newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
posts and then in the four-panel wooden interior door. The ceilings are coffer
Coffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
ed and have exposed wooden beams. Also located in the interior is a large 1909 wooden floor clock, a built-in storage cabinet, and two wooden fuse boxes that all evoke the Arts and Crafts movement.
The building does demonstrate elements of Classical Revival architecture but they are minimal and concentrated around the front entrance. Below the front entrance hood there are two stone pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s and a stone lintel, as well as relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
work adorning the pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
; leading to the front entrance are seven concrete stairs. The entire entry facade is a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
-front, temple style design and on the library's east wing there are stone-capped modified buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. Each of these elements demonstrates the Classical Revival style.
Significance
The Oregon Public Library was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 9, 2003 for its architectural and educational significance. The building represents a good example of the Arts and Crafts movement in architecture. As a Carnegie library, the Oregon Public Library satisfied the requirements laid out for listing on the National Register in the Illinois Carnegie Libraries
Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission
Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission was a National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission in the U.S. state of Illinois in 2002. The submission included a group of sixteen Illinois libraries whose construction was funded by early 20th century philanthropist...
Multiple Property Submission. When the Oregon Commercial Historic District
Oregon Commercial Historic District
The Oregon Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Oregon, Illinois, that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2006. The district is roughly bordered by Jefferson, Franklin, 5th and 3rd Streets in Oregon. It is one of six Oregon sites listed on the...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 the Oregon Library was included as a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
. The library building is considered the most "outstanding" of the Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
or Arts and Crafts buildings within the historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
boundaries.