Olney Carnegie Library
Also known as: Carnegie Building Museum
Why it's listed
Built of buff brick with limestone trim, this Carnegie library at 401 East Main Street in Olney, Illinois, opened in January 1904. Gaddis was the architect and B.L. Robards the builder. The Classical Revival facade has symmetrical windows with pale lavender leaded glass, six brick pilasters with Corinthian capitals, and large terra cotta finials. Inside, the main room has a tiled floor, two small fireplaces, and a 12-foot-square stained glass dome supported by four wooden Ionic columns. Alterations were modest: a roof over the dome, a rear entry, a fire escape, a 1960-61 mezzanine, and a 1984 reading room made from the old coal bin. Olney's library effort began in 1882 with a private association and passed to the city in 1886. The Carnegie building served as the library until 1990 and is now a museum. It is the only Classical Revival building in Olney, and it recorded its significance in education and architecture from 1904 to 1951.
Significance in brief: It is locally significant under Criterion A for education, because it provided library services to Olney, and under Criterion C as the only Classical Revival building in Olney. It meets the Carnegie Library property type defined in the Illinois Carnegie Libraries multiple property documentation.
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 02000037, listed February 14, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 E. Main St., Olney |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | February 14, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000037 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904 - 1951 |
| Architect / builder | Gaddis, Architect; B.L. Robards, Builder |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now in use as a museum (Carnegie Building Museum); it served as a library until 1990, when a new library was built. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.73110, -88.08147 (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 02000037.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15263984
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.