{"nrhp_refnum":"99000612","name":"Banks, W.R., Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"L.W. Minor St., building #0508","address_restricted":false,"city":"Prairie View","county":"Waller County","state":"TX","lat":30.093213599000023,"lon":-95.98939743899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-06-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Black"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story load-bearing brick library building on L.W. Minor Street at the center of the Prairie View A&M University campus in Prairie View, Waller County, Texas, built in 1945 and designed by architect P.B. Hanton.","why_significant":"The building is the campus structure most strongly associated with W.R. Banks, the principal of the college, who oversaw its construction and for whom it was renamed on his retirement in 1946. It reflects the growth of college-level education at Prairie View in the mid-20th century and is locally significant in Education and Ethnic Heritage (Black).","narrative":"Built in 1945 to house the Prairie View A&M campus library, this three-story brick building on L.W. Minor Street reflects the geometric compositions of 1940s modernism. Its symmetrical facade, load-bearing brick walls, cast stone bands and large window expanses give it a modest Moderne character. Architect P.B. Hanton designed it during a period of growing enrollment. Dr. W.R. Banks, the college principal, oversaw construction, and the library was renamed for him when he retired in 1946. Banks, born in Georgia and educated at Atlanta University, led the college through major expansion, including eight new buildings, a model farm and accreditation by the Southern Association. The library is the campus building most closely tied to his leadership and to the rising role of college-level study at Prairie View. A 1992 renovation removed the original interior, but the exterior retains its form. Today it holds administrative and academic offices. It is recognized locally for Education and Ethnic Heritage.","period_of_significance":"1945-1948","architect_builder":"Hanton, P.B. (Architect)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Moderne","criteria":["A","B"],"status_note":"Interior features were demolished in a 1992 renovation that added elevators and ADA access; the building now houses university administrative and academic offices.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.066707-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/97/9705/40970597/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/99000612.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000612/0ece67220b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000612/0ece67220b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Mustangsally","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WR_Banks.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Mustangsally</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WR_Banks.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970597","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108073130"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/waller-county/banks-w-r-library-99000612/"}