{"nrhp_refnum":"73001180","name":"Howland Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"477 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Beacon","county":"Dutchess County","state":"NY","lat":41.501911247000066,"lon":-73.96487642299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-05-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick and shingle library building at 477 Main Street, corner of Tioronda Road, in Beacon, Dutchess County, New York, designed by Richard Morris Hunt and built 1871-1872.","why_significant":"It is presented as a well-preserved example of the work of architect Richard Morris Hunt in the early 1870s, illustrating eclectic, polychrome and picturesque Victorian design related to his Newport cottages. It is also described as a unique local landmark in Beacon, donated by General Joseph Howland and long tied to prominent local people as a subscription and later free library.","narrative":"Standing at the corner of Main Street and Tioronda Road in Beacon, this library was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and built in 1871-1872. Its first story is red brick with black and buff patterned bands and a bluestone foundation, while the upper story is shingled with a half-timber effect over the entrance. A lively roof of hips, gables and dormers adds to its picturesque look. Inside, a tall reading room has carved columns, hammer beams and built-in shelves, and a wooden gallery designed by Charles B. Van Slyck was added in 1895. General Joseph Howland gave the building to the library's trustees in 1872. It served as a subscription library until 1929, when a bequest from John H. Gordon and city help allowed it to open free to the public. Few changes have been made, so it keeps its 1872 exterior and 1895 interior. It is valued as an intact work by Hunt and as a local landmark.","period_of_significance":"1871-1872, 1895","architect_builder":"Richard Morris Hunt (architect); Charles B. Van Slyck (designer of 1895 gallery)","architectural_style":"Eclectic, polychrome, picturesque Victorian, related to the Stick Style","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in good condition, occupied, and largely unaltered; a later letter notes rehabilitation planned with 1977-1978 community development funds.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.85111-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/73001180.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001180/772387b3af-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001180/772387b3af-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Daniel Case","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howland_Cultural_Center,_Beacon,_NY_2009.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Daniel Case</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:Howland_Cultural_Center,_Beacon,_NY_2009.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317372","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howland_Cultural_Center","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5922223"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/dutchess-county/howland-library-73001180/"}