{"nrhp_refnum":"00000953","name":"Jacksonville Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"201 W. College Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Jacksonville","county":"Morgan County","state":"IL","lat":39.732024257000035,"lon":-90.23013852199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-08-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Classical Revival Carnegie library building at 201 West College Avenue in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, designed by Patton and Miller of Chicago and built in 1901-02 by Menke Store & Lime Company of Quincy.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it meets Criterion A for education because it provided library services to Jacksonville residents from 1902 through 1950. It fits the Carnegie Library property type defined in the Illinois Carnegie Libraries documentation. It is also described as an excellent example of Classical Revival style with a cross-shaped plan favored by Carnegie's secretary James Bertram.","narrative":"Jacksonville's Carnegie library at 201 West College Avenue is a two-story limestone building with a clay tile hip roof and a cross-shaped plan. Designed by the Chicago firm Patton and Miller and built in 1901-02, it was funded by a $40,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie, arranged after local lawyer L.O. Vaught wrote to him in 1901. A portico with four Corinthian stone columns and a terra cotta pediment marks the north entrance, and a rotunda leads to two reading rooms with fireplaces. Before this building, the library had moved among several rented spaces since its 1870 founding. Early public meetings and lectures were held here, including poetry readings by Vachel Lindsay. Its role in local education from 1902 to 1950 and its Classical Revival design led to its listing. A 1995-96 renovation added a three-level precast concrete addition to the south and restored interior features, and the building remains a library.","period_of_significance":"1902-1950","architect_builder":"Patton and Miller Architects, Chicago, IL; built by Menke Store & Lime Company, Quincy, Illinois","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still in library use; renovated and expanded with a ten thousand square foot addition in 1995-96, and the interior is described as in excellent condition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.627319-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/85/8913/28891385/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/00000953.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000953/47781633e3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000953/47781633e3-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacksonville_Public_Library.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacksonville_Public_Library.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100002915","name":"Jacksonville Downtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/illinois/jacksonville-downtown-historic-district-100002915/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891385","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Public_Library_(Illinois)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19880946"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/morgan-county/jacksonville-public-library-00000953/"}