{"nrhp_refnum":"82004805","name":"Memorial Hall Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2 N. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Andover","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.65677731400007,"lon":-71.14091448499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-06-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Memorial Hall Library is a 2½-story brick library and memorial hall at 2 North Main Street in Andover, Massachusetts, built in 1873 to designs by J.F. Eaton and altered in 1927.","why_significant":"It was Andover's first public library and serves as a Civil War memorial. It is tied to three prominent manufacturers who funded its construction. It also shows the trend of \"colonializing\" Victorian architecture, with known architects for both building phases.","narrative":"Memorial Hall Library, at 2 North Main Street in Andover, is a brick building of two and a half stories that opened on May 1, 1873. It was created for two purposes: to serve as the town's first public library and to commemorate the Civil War. The idea began in 1870 with manufacturer John Smith, who with partners Peter Smith and John Dove pledged nearly $40,000, to be matched by public subscription. J.F. Eaton designed the original building, which had a mansard roof and bold Victorian detailing, and Abbott & Jenkins built it. In 1927 the firm Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbot replaced the roof, entrance portico and window sash and added a domed cupola, giving the building a restrained Classical look. The second-floor hall remains a Civil War memorial, and the library is still in use. Its significance rests on its cultural role, its links to the manufacturers who funded it, and its example of Colonial Revival remodeling.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"J.F. Eaton (architect); Abbott & Jenkins (builders); Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbot (1927 alterations)","architectural_style":"Italianate/Colonial Revival","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a library; the second-floor meeting hall is maintained as a Civil War memorial.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.226306-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/49/7899/63789949/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82004805.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82004805/2ad71b78c5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82004805/2ad71b78c5-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AndoverMA_MemorialHallLibrary.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AndoverMA_MemorialHallLibrary.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789949","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Hall_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6815440"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/memorial-hall-library-82004805/"}