{"nrhp_refnum":"80004319","name":"Haish Memorial Library","other_names":["DeKalb Public Library"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"309 Oak St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"De Kalb","county":"DeKalb County","state":"IL","lat":41.932267127000046,"lon":-88.74995500999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-10-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A single-story limestone public library building at 309 Oak Street in DeKalb, Illinois, completed in 1930 to designs by White and Weber of Chicago and built by Skogland and Wedberg of DeKalb. It has been extended by additions in 1978-79.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the library is an outstanding example of late 1920s Art Moderne architecture, with bold horizontal lines, strong vertical pilasters and restrained ornament. It is also locally significant for its association with Jacob Haish, a prominent DeKalb manufacturer whose bequest paid for the building.","narrative":"Built in 1930 at 309 Oak Street in DeKalb, this single-story library was funded by a $150,000 bequest from Jacob Haish, a barbed wire inventor and manufacturer. Chicago architects White and Weber designed it in the Art Moderne style, and DeKalb firm Skogland and Wedberg built it. The exterior is stained Indian Bedford limestone with fluted pilasters, chevron and fret ornament, and sculpture by Fred M. Torrey above the entrance. Inside, the vestibule and delivery room are lined with marble, and a 1934 mural by Gustaf Dalstrom hangs in the reading room. The nomination describes the design as restrained compared with Art Deco buildings of the same period and notes its functional layout. Interior changes were made in 1966 and 1968, and a 1978-79 extension of the wing copied the original stone, proportions and ornament. The library remains in public use and is recognized for its architecture and its link to Haish.","period_of_significance":"1930","architect_builder":"White and Weber, Chicago, Architects; Skogland and Wedberg, DeKalb, builders","architectural_style":"Art Moderne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as the DeKalb Public Library; condition listed as excellent and altered, with a 1978-79 wing extension that matches the original exterior.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.740216-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/6/8927/28892706/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/80004319.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80004319/7d0cd06472-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80004319/7d0cd06472-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"IvoShandor at English Wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Haish_Memorial_Library.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">IvoShandor at English Wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"http://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:Haish_Memorial_Library.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892706","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haish_Memorial_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5639648"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/dekalb-county/haish-memorial-library-80004319/"}