{"nrhp_refnum":"72000407","name":"Mary Willis Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"E. Liberty and S. Jefferson Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Washington","county":"Wilkes County","state":"GA","lat":33.734846996000044,"lon":-82.73876151899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-04-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A public library building at the corner of East Liberty and South Jefferson Streets in Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia, designed in 1888 by Atlanta architect Edmund G. Lind.","why_significant":"The library, founded in 1888, was Georgia's first free town and county library. Its building is an exceptionally fine example of High Victorian picturesque eclecticism, unique in this area of Georgia. It also marks an impressive entrance to the Water-Liberty Street district and complements the brick business buildings along Jefferson Street.","narrative":"Mary Willis Library occupies the corner of East Liberty and South Jefferson Streets in Washington, Georgia. Atlanta architect Edmund G. Lind designed the red brick building in 1888 in the High Victorian, Queen Anne manner, with asymmetrical massing, molded chimneys, an irregular roofline and a corner turret. Bands of stone, terra cotta inserts and painted gables add color and texture, while the interior has pine beams and moldings, patterned brick fireplaces and stained glass windows dedicated to Mary Willis. Dr. Francis T. Willis funded the building in memory of his daughter. The library, founded in 1888, was Georgia's first free town and county library, and it was listed for that distinction and for its architecture, which is unusual for the area. Lind's original lithograph design survives in the collection, and the building appears largely as drawn. It also forms an impressive entrance to the Water-Liberty Street district and complements nearby brick business buildings.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1888)","architect_builder":"Edmund G. Lind","architectural_style":"High Victorian, Queen Anne (High Victorian picturesque eclecticism)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, and occupied and in use as a library; additions of stacks and expanded facilities were being planned.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:40.809999-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/72000407.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000407/65f615acd2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000407/65f615acd2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"TampAGS, for AGS Media","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Willis_Library_Annex.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">TampAGS, for AGS Media</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Willis_Library_Annex.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04001319","name":"Washington Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/georgia/washington-historic-district-04001319/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93209963","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Willis_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6780967"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/wilkes-county/mary-willis-library-72000407/"}