Library, Columbus, Wisconsin

Library, Columbus, Wisconsin Vintage by markomundo
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[LIB6648] - The library was designed by master architects Louis W. Claude and Edward F. Starck in 1912. It achieved statewide architectural significance as one of the most original designs of a firm noted for its distinctive libraries. The library's one-story Prairie School design is built of stucco, wood and brick. Normally the building belongs in the general class of their Prairie works but the design is also strongly influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement. The deliberate combination of stucco and brick and vaguely Tudor-like ornamentation is more closely related to the craftsman design philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement. The cottage-like library was designed with a T-shaped floor plan featuring an open reading room, central circulation desk, with built-in benches and bookshelves made of oak and offices in the rear completed the building. The residential elements such as the front porch, residential setback, and flower boxes give it an inviting feeling. The library was dedicated on November 1, 1912 for the contracted cost of $9,888.10. The library has been in continual use since opening. [Provided by the library website]