{"nrhp_refnum":"84002407","name":"Nevins Memorial Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"305 Broadway","address_restricted":false,"city":"Methuen","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.731226967000055,"lon":-71.18964803799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-01-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Nevins Memorial Library is a red brick Romanesque Revival library and assembly hall at 305 Broadway in Methuen, Massachusetts, built in 1883 and designed by architect Samuel J.F. Thayer.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as a well preserved institutional building and the most developed example of the Romanesque style in Methuen. It is the town's only public/private library. It was built through the philanthropy of mill owner David Nevins and designed by a recognized architect.","narrative":"Nevins Memorial Library, at 305 Broadway on the edge of Methuen's town center, is a red brick Romanesque Revival building completed in 1883 to designs by Samuel J.F. Thayer. Its asymmetrical facade combines low-sprung arches carried on brick piers, a stepped parapet and an octagonal bay. Terra cotta and copper crockets cap the slate roof, and stained glass fills three round-arch windows. The style follows the approach developed by H. H. Richardson of Boston. Mill owner David Nevins funded the building, and the Nevins family, tied to the Methuen Cotton Mills and to Nevins Park, gave it to the town. The landscaped grounds hold imported trees and botanical specimens, the family graves, and an 1896 statue by C. Moretti called \"Angel of Life.\" The second floor serves as an assembly hall, and much original interior woodwork survives. It was listed for its integrity, its architecture, and its role as Methuen's only public/private library.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Samuel J.F. Thayer","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Used as the town library and assembly hall; described as in excellent condition with some modernization and a handicap ramp added.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.908467-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/12/7901/63790112/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002407.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002407/ab6ee123ce-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002407/ab6ee123ce-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"EraserGirl","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nevins_Memorial_Library.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">EraserGirl</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nevins_Memorial_Library.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790112","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevins_Memorial_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715758"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/nevins-memorial-library-84002407/"}