{"nrhp_refnum":"99000165","name":"Litchfield Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"400 N. State St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Litchfield","county":"Montgomery County","state":"IL","lat":39.17778565000003,"lon":-89.65488902899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-02-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story limestone Carnegie library in Library Park in downtown Litchfield, Montgomery County, Illinois, designed by Paul Moratz of Bloomington and built 1904-1905 by John Rees.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is locally significant under Criterion A for education, because it served as Litchfield's public library from 1905 to 1948. It also meets the Carnegie Library property type defined in the Illinois Carnegie Libraries multiple property documentation. Its Classical Revival design and largely intact interior add to its character.","narrative":"Set in the middle of Library Park on Litchfield's downtown square, this two-story limestone building was designed by architect Paul Moratz of Bloomington and built by John Rees between 1904 and 1905. Andrew Carnegie's grant of fifteen thousand dollars paid for it, and the library board took possession on June 22, 1905. The cross-shaped plan has a gabled two-story core flanked by one-story wings with classical parapets, and the west entrance sits beneath a pediment with dentils and modillions. Inside, an octagonal rotunda, oak trim, original circulation desk and brick fireplaces survive in excellent condition. Later work included a 1994 window replacement, an elevator and accessible entrance added in 1995-96, and a 1998 basement conversion to a children's library. The building is recognized for its education role, having housed the town's public library from 1905 through 1948, and as a representative Illinois Carnegie library. The library itself dates to a tax levy in 1872 and opened in 1882.","period_of_significance":"1905 - 1948","architect_builder":"Moratz, Paul, Architect; Rees, John, Builder","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still used as the public library and owned by the City of Litchfield. The basement was remodeled as a children's library in 1998, and the second floor is currently used only for storage, with plans to open it to the public.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.42781-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/79/8913/28891379/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/99000165.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000165/c889f822b2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000165/c889f822b2-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litchfield_Public_Library_from_west.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Litchfield_Public_Library_from_west.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891379","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litchfield_Public_Library_(Illinois)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17300109"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/montgomery-county/litchfield-public-library-99000165/"}