Friday, November 7, 2014

Carnegie Library, Luverne, Minnesota


[LIB11185] - The Luverne Carnegie Library is a one storey Beaux Arts style building with Richardsonian Romanesque influences. Situated on a corner lot, the design of the building is hexagonal in shape and is angled to accentuate the site and street-view. The exterior is faced with red brick and which rests on a raised basement of quarry-faced Blue Mound quartzite. This quartzite facing is only used around the sides of the building visible from the street, and red brick is used elsewhere. The southeast façade is dominated by a Beaux Art pedimented portico which features paired, fluted Ionic columns that flank the arched doorway. Ornamental features include the garland-and-swag motif situated in the tympanum of the pediment and beneath this the words: 'Carnegie' sculpted upon the frieze. On the east and south facades facing the street are two bays that have semi-circular arched windows with rusticated stone surrounds. Above these windows a corbelled cornice of quartzite projects from the wall. The projecting entrance has a generous cornice and is typical of Carnegie library design by being the dominant central feature of the building. It is the rusticated stone detailing and general largeness and simplicity of form that give this Beaux Arts building a Richardsonian Romanesque flavor.  [Website]

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