{"nrhp_refnum":"05000867","name":"Virginia State Library","other_names":["Old State Library","Executive Office Building","Patrick Henry Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1111 E. Broad St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond","county":"Richmond (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.53929483400003,"lon":-77.43188085199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-08-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A massive Stripped Classicism (Art Deco) government building at 1111 East Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, built in 1938-40 as the Virginia State Library and home to the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Attorney General's office.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of Virginia's outstanding examples of Stripped Classicism, a style favored for governmental buildings in the 1930s and '40s. It was designed by two prominent Richmond firms with New York library consultants, and its plain exterior serves as a backdrop to the State Capitol. Its principal Art Deco interior spaces have been preserved.","narrative":"Occupying an entire block between East Broad and Capitol streets in Richmond, this limestone-faced building was constructed in 1938-40 to house the Virginia State Library and Archives, the Supreme Court of Appeals, and the Attorney General's office. Baskervill & Son and Carneal, Johnson & Wright designed it, with Alfred Morton Githens and Francis Keally of New York consulting on library planning. Funding combined $1,000,000 in state money with a federal Public Works Administration grant. Its Stripped Classicism keeps the proportions and monumentality of Classical architecture while omitting ornament, and the plain walls were meant to act as a foil for the nearby State Capitol. Interiors include a paneled entrance hall, two reading rooms, a walnut-paneled courtroom and a mahogany rare book room, all in Art Deco character. Two setback levels were added in the early 1970s following the original plans. After the library left in 1998, the building was remodeled as executive offices while retaining its main historic spaces and unchanged exterior.","period_of_significance":"1938-1941","architect_builder":"Baskervill & Son; Carneal, Johnson & Wright; Alfred Morton Githens & Francis Keally (consultants); contractor Doyle and Russell","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Art Deco (Stripped Classicism)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Vacated in 1998; converted starting in 2004 into an executive office building for the Governor's office and Cabinet, with occupancy scheduled for May 2005.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:02.574437-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/62/6828/41682862/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/05000867.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000867/99b6671b59-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000867/99b6671b59-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Morgan Riley","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patrick_Henry_Building_Richmond.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Morgan Riley</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patrick_Henry_Building_Richmond.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"71000982","name":"James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/james-river-and-kanawha-canal-historic-district-71000982/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682862","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Henry_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713040"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/richmond/virginia-state-library-05000867/"}