Adriance Memorial Library
Why it's listed
Adriance Memorial Library is a masonry public library at 93 Market Street in Poughkeepsie, built between 1896 and 1898 and opened in 1898. Charles F. Rose, a former Poughkeepsie resident working from New York City, designed it, and Titus and Round of Poughkeepsie built it. The six children of John P. and Mary Adriance gave it as a memorial; John P. Adriance invented the buckeye reaper and started the family fortune. The one-story building on a raised basement has Tennessee marble, a copper roof, a central clerestory dome and a recessed central pavilion with four Corinthian columns. Bronze memorial plaques came from Tiffany & Co. Inside, decorative plasterwork and polished oak woodwork survive. A rear wing was added in 1922. The building closes the southern end of Market Street and is regarded as one of the finest Renaissance Revival buildings in the city. It continues to serve as a library and is in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a memorial to John P. and Mary Adriance from their six children, John P. Adriance being the inventor of the buckeye reaper and originator of the family fortune. It is described as an excellent and among the finest examples of Renaissance Revival architecture in Poughkeepsie and a focal point of the city's civic environment.
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 82001118, listed November 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 93 Market St., Poughkeepsie |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | November 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001118 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Charles F. Rose of New York City (formerly of Poughkeepsie); builder Titus and Round of Poughkeepsie |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival (called "French Renaissance" in the 1898 Librarian's Annual Report) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a library; condition listed as excellent, with an intact interior. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.70048, -73.93057 (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 82001118.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4685534
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.