{"nrhp_refnum":"79001973","name":"Brumback Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"215 W. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Van Wert","county":"Van Wert County","state":"OH","lat":40.86892691600008,"lon":-84.58378582799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-01-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1 1/2-story Bedford blue sandstone library building at 215 W. Main St. in Van Wert, Ohio, designed by Toledo architect David L. Stine, with its cornerstone laid in 1899 and dedication on January 1, 1901.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the library is historically significant as one of the first public libraries in the United States supported by county taxation, built through the bequest of John Sanford Brumback. It is also architecturally significant as a well-preserved eclectic building with a castle-like character that is unique in the county.","narrative":"Brumback Library, at 215 W. Main Street in Van Wert, is a 1 1/2-story building of Bedford blue sandstone with a red Ludowici tile roof. Architect David L. Stine of Toledo designed it, and the cornerstone was laid on July 18, 1899. Its facade has three bays, a round offset tower, a smaller square tower, and a deep round-arched entrance reminiscent of Norman work. Inside are a marble mosaic floor, a marble mantel, ornamented steel book stacks, and a balcony with a glass floor. John Sanford Brumback left money in his 1897 will for a county library, provided the county supported its books and upkeep. A state bill passed in April 1898 allowed counties to accept such gifts. The library was dedicated on January 1, 1901. The nomination describes it as one of the first county tax-supported public libraries in the country, notes that the claim to be first is still debated, and calls the castle-like design unique in the county. Only a 1917 outside stairway altered it significantly.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"David L. Stine","architectural_style":"Eclectic, most often called Richardsonian Romanesque, with Gothic Revival towers and Norman-style entrance","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition, and used as an educational facility; the interior and exterior remain largely unchanged apart from a 1917 outside stairway.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:11.972467-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79001973.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001973/3aadc56915-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001973/3aadc56915-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brumback_Library,_Van_Wert.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brumback_Library,_Van_Wert.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991798","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brumback_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14716379"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/van-wert-county/brumback-library-79001973/"}