{"nrhp_refnum":"98001352","name":"Ayer Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"200 Locust St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Delavan","county":"Tazewell County","state":"IL","lat":40.37438235900004,"lon":-89.54690651699997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-11-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Classical Revival brick public library with a full basement at 200 Locust Street in Delavan, Tazewell County, Illinois, designed by Aaron T. Simmons of Bloomington and built in 1914 by Ray Lillibridge of Delavan.","why_significant":"The nomination argues local significance under Criterion A for education, because the library has provided books and reading services to Delavan's children, students and residents since 1914. It also meets the registration requirements for the Carnegie Library property type in Illinois. Its founding grew from the town's temperance movement and a 1907 gift by Amos K. Ayer.","narrative":"Ayer Public Library, at 200 Locust Street in Delavan, Illinois, is a one-story Classical Revival building of brick with limestone trim, measuring 42 by 60 feet over a full basement. Aaron T. Simmons of Bloomington designed it, and Ray Lillibridge of Delavan built it in 1914. Limestone forms the foundation, stringcourses, cornice and pediment, and a central entry pavilion faces west. Inside, the main floor keeps its original oak reception desk, carved capitals and mission-style oak furniture. The library traces back to Delavan's temperance heritage. A temperance society's reading room supplied the first collection, and in 1907 Amos K. Ayer proposed a free public library supported by taxes, which voters approved. The library opened in rented rooms above a bank, then received Carnegie funding for a purpose-built home after several years of correspondence. It has served local residents and schools continuously since 1914 and is listed for its role in education, within the Illinois Carnegie Libraries group.","period_of_significance":"1914-1948","architect_builder":"Simmons, A. T., Architect; Lillibridge, Ray, Builder","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still in use as a library; the exterior is described as unchanged except for storm windows and a storm door, and the main floor interior furnishings are largely original.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.550497-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/8914/28891460/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/98001352.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001352/304f6c2cac-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001352/304f6c2cac-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Ammodramus","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ayer_Public_Library_from_W_1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Ammodramus</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ayer_Public_Library_from_W_1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891460","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayer_Public_Library_(Delavan,_Illinois)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22033091"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/tazewell-county/ayer-public-library-98001352/"}