Vienna Public Library
Why it's listed
Vienna's Carnegie library is a rectangular, one-and-a-half-story red brick building on Poplar Street facing Court Square. Finished in 1911 for about $6,323, it was funded by a Carnegie grant of $5,000 plus an extra $1,000, on a lot bought from Mrs. O. E. Harvick. Local designer and builder Thomas Clymer drew the plans, and Davis and Bellamy constructed it. It has a hipped roof, brick corbelling below the eaves, concrete string courses, paired one-over-one windows, and a recessed entrance reached by a flight of 22 steps. Inside, an open main floor retains original furniture, and the basement originally held a heater and coal room. The library was important beyond its books. It gave students and residents reading materials and served as a meeting place for civic and women's groups. During the 1917 flu epidemic the Red Cross used its basement, a free trachoma clinic operated there from 1936, and the building served as a temporary hospital during the 1937 flood.
Significance in brief: The library is a product of Andrew Carnegie's grant program and meets Criterion A in education, social history and health/medicine. It supplied reading and research materials to the town, hosted civic and social groups, and housed medical services including a 1917 flu response, a 1936 trachoma clinic and a temporary hospital during the 1937 flood.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 94001603, listed January 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 Poplar St., Vienna |
|---|---|
| County | Johnson County |
| Listed | January 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 94001603 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1911-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Clymer, Thomas, Architect; Davis and Bellamy, Builders |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Social History, Health/Medicine |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and still serving as a library, with modest changes such as storm windows, carpeting, new concrete steps (1977) and basement partitions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.41375, -88.89638 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94001603.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7928341
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.