Library Hall in

Carpentersville, Illinois Carpentersville is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 37,983 at the 2020 census. Geography Carpentersville is located at (42.121156, -88.274679). According to the 2010 census, Carpentersville has a total a ...

, also known as Administration Building, Dundee Township Park District, is a

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...

style building built during 1895–1897. It was built as a memorial to Julius Angelo Carpenter, donor of the Union Congregational Church and Parsonage in Carpenterville. It was individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973. Also it is included in

Dundee Township Historic District The Dundee Township Historic District is a set of sixty-five buildings in Dundee Township, Kane County Illinois. Buildings in the district are found in East Dundee, West Dundee, and Carpentersville. The district represents the development of ...

History

The Library Hall building was dedicated by Mary Carpenter Lord to her late husband and the residents of Carpentersville. Lord's husband,

Angelo Carpenter Julius Angelo Carpenter (August 19, 1827 – March 30, 1880) was the founder of Carpentersville, Illinois, and its first prominent citizen. Carpenter came with his family from Massachusetts and settled near the Fox River (Illinois River tributar ...

, founded the settlement in 1851. Carpenter opened a store and built a bridge across the Fox River. Carpenter was instrumental in attracting a foundry for the Illinois Iron & Bolt Company, which provided many jobs for Carpentersville citizens. He was elected to the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

in 1870.Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
/ref> The design was inspired by a trip that Mary Carpenter Lord took abroad; Lord sought to design a building unlike anything else in the area. The building was dedicated on January 2, 1897. Ownership of the building fell into the hands of the local Congregational Church, who sold it to the Dundee Township Park District for use for the public. It was individually listed on the

in 1973, and listed as part of the Dundee Township Historic District two years later. Federal funds secured following the National Register listing allowed the park district to rehabilitate the building.

Architecture

Library Hall is considered to be an example of

, designed by Elgin firm

Turnbull & Jones Turnbull may refer to: People *See Turnbull (surname) *Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia Places *Turnbull High School in Bishopbriggs, Scotland *Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, located near Spokane, Washington, USA *Turnbull ...

. The exterior walls were constructed with St. Louis pressed brick with Bedford Limestone trimmings. The gutters are made of copper, which have oxidized. The front of the building features beveled glass while the rear has stained glass art windows. Stone steps lead to the entrance. The floors are hard maple, wainscoted with Georgia Pine. The first floor featured two reading rooms, a reference room, and a stock room. The fireplace on the floor includes a decorative tile hearth. Also on the floor was a ladies' parlor, which was used by parishioners when the building was owned by the church. A finished basement, also used by the church, included a lecture room, a steam heater (now replaced by an HVAC unit), a dining room, and a kitchen.

References

External links

{{commonscat-inline Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Government buildings completed in 1897 National Register of Historic Places in Kane County, Illinois Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Illinois