{"nrhp_refnum":"00000059","name":"Spalding Memorial Library-Tioga Point Museum","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"724 S. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Athens","county":"Bradford County","state":"PA","lat":41.95166157800003,"lon":-76.51636937899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-02-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Social History","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick library and history museum at 724 South Main Street in Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, built in 1897-98 with a Flemish bond brick exterior and Indiana limestone foundation and trim.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its role in preserving local history and serving as a library, for its association with Louise Welles Murray, who led the historical society and its building effort, and as a strong local example of Colonial Revival and Classical Revival design by Wilkes-Barre architect Albert H. Kipp. The building was funded largely by Chicago lumber businessman Jesse Spalding.","narrative":"Built in 1897-98 on South Main Street in Athens, Pennsylvania, this two-story brick building houses a library and a local history museum. Architect Albert H. Kipp designed it with a symmetrical front, a colossal limestone Ionic portico, and round-arched upper windows, drawing on Colonial Revival and Classical Revival styles. Chicago lumber merchant Jesse Spalding paid for most of its construction, which was intended to be fireproof, with a steel frame, terra cotta tile walls, and concrete floors. The building was tied closely to Louise Welles Murray, who led the Tioga Point Historical Society and pressed for its creation. It is also linked to a large Native American archaeological collection assembled by the society from burial sites excavated near Murray's home. The building served as a library and history museum from its completion through 1949, and the nomination counts it among Athens' most important civic buildings.","period_of_significance":"1897 - 1949","architect_builder":"Kipp, Albert Hamilton (architect)","architectural_style":"Colonial Revival; Classical Revival","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Completed 1898; continuously served as a library and history museum through 1949 per the document. Current condition beyond the 1999 elevator addition is not stated in the excerpt.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:38.105623-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/00000059.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000059/52c6a6a3e1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000059/52c6a6a3e1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spalding_Memorial_Library-Tioga_Point_Museum_Nov_09.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spalding_Memorial_Library-Tioga_Point_Museum_Nov_09.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04000612","name":"Athens Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/athens-historic-district-04000612/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994545","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding_Memorial_Library-Tioga_Point_Museum","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7572984"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/bradford-county/spalding-memorial-library-tioga-point-museum-00000059/"}