{"nrhp_refnum":"94000972","name":"El Paso Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"149 W. First St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"El Paso","county":"Woodford County","state":"IL","lat":40.739553959000034,"lon":-89.01851041699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1994-08-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Social History","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Carnegie-funded public library with a basement at 149 West First Street on Jefferson Square in El Paso, Woodford County, Illinois, designed by Paul O. Moratz and built in 1906-07 by Joseph A. Reichel.","why_significant":"The library is locally significant under Criterion A for education, providing library services to El Paso residents from its 1907 opening. It is also significant for social history, as a meeting place for groups such as Grand Army of the Republic veterans and the Red Cross, and a collection point for wartime book drives. It meets the registration requirements for the Carnegie Library property type in the Illinois Carnegie Libraries multiple property listing.","narrative":"Built in 1906-07 on Jefferson Square in El Paso, Illinois, this Richardsonian Romanesque library was designed by Bloomington architect Paul O. Moratz and constructed by local builder Joseph A. Reichel. Its rusticated buff Bedford stone walls, hip roof, and a main entrance flanked by two semicircular turrets give it a distinctive presence. Inside, the original wood circulation desk with massive Ionic columns and a vaulted entry area remain. Funding came from a $6,000 Carnegie grant, and the project grew out of the long effort of the Ladies' Library Association, founded in 1873, to give the town a proper library. Dedicated on February 22, 1907, the building served as a center for education and community life. Veterans' groups and the Red Cross met in its basement, and it collected books for soldiers during both world wars. Later changes include a 1967 children's room entrance and a 1973 community renovation.","period_of_significance":"1907-1944","architect_builder":"Moratz, Paul O., Architect; Reichel, Joseph A., Builder","architectural_style":"Late Victorian - Romanesque (described as Richardsonian Romanesque)","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still used as a library and meeting space; the exterior is described as remarkably unchanged apart from the basement windows and a 1967 west entrance addition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.218651-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/94/8914/28891494/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/94000972.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/94000972/493b0073b4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/94000972/493b0073b4-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"scanned by Gary Johnson; original creator unknown; not stated on card","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ElPasoILLibrary.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">scanned by Gary Johnson; original creator unknown; not stated on card</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ElPasoILLibrary.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891494","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso_Public_Library_(Illinois)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20857918"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/woodford-county/el-paso-public-library-94000972/"}