Carnegie Library and Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall
Also known as: Greenville Public Library; Memorial Hall
Why it's listed
Two civic buildings share a park-like block in Greenville, Ohio: the Carnegie Library, built in 1901, and the Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall, built in 1910. The library is tan brick with a clay tile hipped roof and a pedimented central portico with a Palladian-style doorway. Memorial Hall has a recessed colonnade of engaged Ionic columns, large arched stained glass windows, a brick and limestone parapet and a slate roof. A rear addition and some replacement windows are the main changes. Both buildings sit well back from the street, softened by trees and landscaping. They are valued as the only body of monumental architecture in Darke County. They also reflect the philanthropy of their era. Henry St. Clair, a wealthy wholesale grocer, and his wife gave $135,000 toward the hall and $3,650 for reference rooms and stained glass at the library. Carnegie and a local organization provided the library's main funding. The hall is described as the high point of that giving.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the two buildings are architecturally significant as the only body of monumental architecture in Darke County, and that their siting and proximity add to this. They are also historically significant as examples of early 20th century philanthropy, especially notable in a rural county of about 40,000 people. Henry St. Clair and his wife funded the Memorial Hall, and Andrew Carnegie and a local organization funded the library.
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 80002986, listed November 26, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 520 Sycamore St. and W. 4th St., Greenville |
|---|---|
| County | Darke County |
| Listed | November 26, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002986 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Library: W.S. Kaufman of Richmond, IN, architect; Dennis Dwyer of Greenville, OH, builder. Memorial Hall: Howard & Morrison of Columbus, OH, architects; E.E. Bape of Columbus, OH, builder. |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are listed as occupied and publicly owned, in educational use. The library is in excellent condition and unaltered; the Memorial Hall is excellent but altered, with a rear one-story addition and some replacement windows. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 40.09949, -84.63292 (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 80002986.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5604670
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.