Oregon Public Library
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The Oregon Public Library is located in
Oregon, Illinois Oregon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,721 in 2010.U.S. Census BureaPopulation, Age, Sex, Race, Households/ref> History The land Oregon, Illinois was founded on was previously hel ...
, United States, the county seat of
Ogle County Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 53,497. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle, ...
. The building is a
public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...
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 (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
. 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 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 irr ...
. The Ponds were members of the
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. The colon ...
, founded by
Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860, in Elmwood, Illinois – October 30, 1936, in Chicago) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, ''The History of American Sculpture,'' was the first survey of the subject and stood for decad ...
, 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 Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
and the Arts and Crafts movement. The completed library included a second floor
art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
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 was a New York City printmaking business that operated between 1835 and 1907. Founded by Nathaniel Currier, the company designed and sold inexpensive, hand painted lithographic works based on news events, views of popular cultu ...
lithograph collection appraised at
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
700,000. The Oregon Public Library was listed on the U.S.
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 2003, three years later it was included as a
contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...
in a
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 or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
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
library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
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.Behrens, p. 14. 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 A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
, allow Oregon's library to make the shift into a
township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
library. This change would allow the library one distinct advantage; it would qualify the library for a grant from
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
for the construction of a new building. Initially, Carnegie promised
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
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.


Art gallery


Eagle's Nest influence

Even before the library was built, members of the
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. The colon ...
were pushing for the new building to include a second-story
art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
. The colony, founded in 1898 by sculptor
Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860, in Elmwood, Illinois – October 30, 1936, in Chicago) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, ''The History of American Sculpture,'' was the first survey of the subject and stood for decad ...
, was based on the bluffs flanking the east bank of the Rock River, overlooking Oregon.Lorado Taft Campus
, Regional History Center, ''Northern Illinois University Libraries''. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
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.Schnell, p. 13. 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 The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and list of largest art museums, largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visit ...
or the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
art department, who gathered in Ogle County to escape the summer heat of Chicago.Schnell, pp. 52-53. Two of the charter members of the art colony were the Chicago architects, Allen and
Irving Kane Pond Irving Kane Pond (May 1, 1857 – September 29, 1939) 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. He was a me ...
, 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 Hannibal Hamlin Garland (September 14, 1860 – March 4, 1940) was an American novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer, Georgist, and psychical researcher. He is best known for his fiction involving hard-working Midwestern farmers. Biog ...
, a 1921
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
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 Statue ''The Eternal Indian'', sometimes called the Black Hawk Statue, is a 48-foot (14.6 m) sculpture by Lorado Taft located in Lowden State Park, near the city of Oregon, Illinois. Dedicated in 1911, the statue is perched over the Rock River on a 77- ...
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 was a New York City printmaking business that operated between 1835 and 1907. Founded by Nathaniel Currier, the company designed and sold inexpensive, hand painted lithographic works based on news events, views of popular cultu ...
lithograph collection which contains 46 Currier and Ives
lithographs Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...
and 14 lithographs by
Nathaniel Currier Nathaniel Currier (March 27, 1813 – November 20, 1888) was an American lithographer. He headed the company Currier & Ives with James Ives. Early years Currier was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to Nathaniel and Hannah Currier. He attended ...
. The two collections have been appraised at over $700,000.Behrens, p. 15. 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.


Architecture

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 Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
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 of floor space. The building, though based on
Classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the works of the Roman architect V ...
, is not entirely a Classical building. Its rooflines, main entrance, and the placement and style of the windows are all
asymmetrical Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry (the property of an object being invariant to a transformation, such as reflection). Symmetry is an important property of both physical and abstract systems and it may be displayed in pre ...
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.Behrens, p. 7. 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 A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its cons ...
s and
newel A newel, also called a central pole or support column, is the central supporting pillar of a staircase. It can also refer to an upright post that supports and/or terminates the handrail of a stair banister (the "newel post"). In stairs having str ...
posts and then in the four-panel wooden interior door. The ceilings are
coffer A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also c ...
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 box A distribution board (also known as panelboard, breaker panel, electric panel, DB board or DB box) is a component of an electricity supply system that divides an electrical power feed into subsidiary circuits while providing a protective fus ...
es that all evoke the Arts and Crafts movement.Behrens, p. 17. 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 In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...
s and a stone
lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
, as well as
relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
work adorning the
pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...
; leading to the front entrance are seven concrete stairs. The entire entry facade is a
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
-front, temple style design and on the library's east wing there are stone-capped modified
buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...
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 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 ...
on May 9, 2003 for its architectural and educational significance.Behrens, p. 13. 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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of Historic districts in the United States, districts, sites, buildings, struc ...
. When the
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 Ore ...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 the Oregon Library was included as a
contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...
.Novak, p. 28. The library building is considered the most "outstanding" of the Craftsman or Arts and Crafts buildings within the
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 or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
boundaries.Novak, pp. 52-53.


See also

*
Black Hawk Statue ''The Eternal Indian'', sometimes called the Black Hawk Statue, is a 48-foot (14.6 m) sculpture by Lorado Taft located in Lowden State Park, near the city of Oregon, Illinois. Dedicated in 1911, the statue is perched over the Rock River on a 77- ...
*
Lowden State Park Lowden State Park is an Illinois state park on in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The park was named after Governor Frank Orren Lowden. Governor Lowden had served Illinois during World War I. Lowden State Park is home to the Black Hawk ...


Notes


References

*Novak, Alice.
Oregon Commercial Historic District
" (
PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, July 12, 2006, HAARGIS Database, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved July 12, 2007. *Behrens, Marsha, et al.
Oregon Public Library
" (
PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, March 27, 2003, HAARGIS Database, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved July 12, 2007. *Schnell, Karen E. "," (
PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), Multiple Property Submission Form, January 6, 1994, National Register Information System, ''National Park Service''. Retrieved July 12, 2007.


External links

*
Oregon Public Library District
official site {{authority control Library buildings completed in 1909 Oregon, Illinois Buildings and structures in Oregon Commercial Historic District Carnegie libraries in Illinois Public libraries in Illinois Education in Ogle County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Ogle County, Illinois Historic district contributing properties in Illinois Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois