Rushmore Memorial Library
Also known as: Rushmore Memorial Building; Rushmore Memorial Public Library
Why it's listed
Built in 1923-24 at the corner of Weygant Hill Road and Route 32 in Highland Mills, this small stone building served as the Town of Woodbury's first public library. Its walls are load-bearing pudding stone, a locally quarried conglomerate, laid in irregular courses and topped by a pyramidal roof of clay barrel tiles. Diamond-pane casement windows, a segmental-arched entrance hood and a large stone fireplace with mahogany shelving give it an Arts & Crafts-inspired, rustic character related to regional stone architecture. The project was funded by Charles E. Rushmore, a New York City attorney living in Orange County whose Black Hills work led to Mount Rushmore being named for him. His daughter pushed for the library after the town's book collection had been kept in a drugstore, a grocery and a telephone office. Local contractor Howard B. Gregory oversaw construction. The building remains largely unaltered, including original Rushmore family furniture, and it is valued for its architecture and its role in community life.
Significance in brief: It was the Town of Woodbury's first public library building and is a largely intact example of small-scale library design with an Arts & Crafts-inspired, rustic character. It was financed by Charles E. Rushmore, the attorney for whom Mount Rushmore was informally named, and built by local contractor Howard B. Gregory.
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 08000276, listed April 11, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Weygant Hill Rd. & NY 32, Highland Mills |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | April 11, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000276 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Gregory, Howard B.; builder |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Arts & Crafts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is a library, with a museum function also listed as current use; it survives largely as built, with a c. 1970 rear ramp and updated wiring and lighting. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.35125, -74.12501 (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 08000276.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q176602
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.