Barber, Aaron, Memorial Building
Also known as: Avon Free Library
Why it's listed
Built in 1927-28 on Genesee Street in Avon, New York, the Aaron Barber Memorial Building houses the Avon Free Library. It is a rectangular, five-by-three-bay brick structure with a hipped roof, modillion cornice, round-arched windows with twelve-over-twelve sash, and a pedimented Georgian entrance with Roman Ionic columns. Inside, a large open reading room centers on an oversized Georgian Revival fireplace and overmantel holding a portrait of the benefactor. Aaron Barber III, a prominent local farmer and civic leader, left the library his house and a large endowment when he died in 1925. The house was demolished and the new building opened in April 1928. The Rochester firm of Arnold and Stern designed it, drawing on southern tidewater court houses and Anglican churches in Virginia rather than New England models. It is valued as an intact example of Georgian Revival civic architecture and continues to serve as a library and community center.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an intact and distinguished example of Georgian Revival civic architecture in Avon. It is modeled on southern tidewater public buildings, such as small Virginia brick court houses and churches, rather than the New England models common earlier in the Colonial Revival. It was built with a bequest from benefactor Aaron Barber III and still serves as a library and community center.
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 07001452, listed January 23, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 143 Genesee St., Avon |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | January 23, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001452 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928 |
| Architect / builder | Arnold & Stern |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (Georgian Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continues in its original use as an active library and community center. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Within district | Avon Village Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.90971, -77.74741 (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 07001452.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3844097
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.