Morrisville Public Library
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Standing on the north side of East Main Street in the center of Morrisville, this two-and-one-half-story frame cottage was built around 1850 for Lyman Kingman, a local merchant and druggist. It has a narrow side-gable form with a centered cross gable, bracketed eaves, mustard-colored clapboard siding and Gothic Revival details such as an ogee-arched door panel and a sunburst in the gable. A full-width porch, rebuilt in 1988 from historic photographs, replaced a non-historic vestibule. Henry and Mary Austin Phelps lived in the house for about half a century. After Mary Phelps died in 1903, their daughter Susanna Phelps Gage, a biologist, donated the home to the village for a library, and residents voted to accept it. The building has served as the public library ever since, and it remains a center of community activity. It is valued as a well-preserved example of the frame Gothic cottage type popular in the mid-1800s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a significant example of a mid-nineteenth-century frame Gothic cottage of the type promoted by architects Alexander Jackson Davis and Andrew Jackson Downing's circle. It retains a high degree of its historic architectural character, enhanced by a porch reconstructed from historic photographs. It has also served as a major community institution since 1903.
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 05001126, listed October 5, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 87 East Main St., Morrisville |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | October 5, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001126 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1850-1954 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century / Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In use as the village public library, occupying most of the first floor, with offices and a history room on the second floor. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.89889, -75.64262 (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 05001126.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6914145
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.