{"nrhp_refnum":"88000909","name":"Melrose Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"63 W. Emerson St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Melrose","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.45930640800003,"lon":-71.06666924699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-06-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A public library building at 63 West Emerson Street in Melrose, Massachusetts, built in 1904 to a design by Penn Varney of Lynn, with a one-story addition completed in 1963. It is built of limestone-colored brick with Indiana limestone trim.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the library is significant under Criterion A for its role in Melrose's community life, as a growing suburb sought a substantial library that also fostered local interest in art, music and local history. It is significant under Criterion C as a Neoclassical civic building, one of the few non-residential buildings in Melrose to use such motifs. The 1963 addition came after the period of significance but is credited with keeping the building in its intended use.","narrative":"Melrose Public Library, at West Emerson Street and Lake Avenue, combines a Neoclassical building from 1904 with a one-story addition from 1963. Penn Varney of Lynn won a design competition among sixteen applicants, and Andrew Carnegie's gift of $25,000 covered about 80 percent of the construction cost. The T-shaped original is built of limestone-colored brick with Indiana limestone trim, a projecting pavilion with a pediment, arcaded windows and Ionic pilasters. Inside, arches, a curved staircase with wrought-iron balusters and a skylit reception area survive. The library was founded in 1871 and had outgrown rented space in the Town Hall and the YMCA. The nomination values it for reflecting Melrose's growth as a suburb of Boston and local interest in art and history, and as a rare Neoclassical civic building in the city. The 1963 addition, funded by a bequest from benefactor Felix Gendrot, carries stained glass by the Burnhams.","period_of_significance":"1904-1930","architect_builder":"Penn Varney (architect); George M. Tufts (general contractor, 1904). 1963 addition: Valtz & Kimberly (architects), Louis Grande & Sons, Inc. (contractor)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival (Neoclassical)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still in use as a library, with a museum area on the second floor of the 1904 building.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.040475-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/24/7961/63796124/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/88000909.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000909/da20cdc410-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000909/da20cdc410-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MelroseMA_PublicLibrary.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:MelroseMA_PublicLibrary.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796124","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melrose_Public_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6813679"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/melrose-public-library-88000909/"}