National Register of Historic Places

Cherokee Public Library

Cherokee, Cherokee County, Iowa
Listed
April 8, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85000773

About this property

The Cherokee Public Library is located in Cherokee, Iowa, United States. A library was begun in town in 1886 by the Cherokee Ladies Library Association. The collection of books was housed in the YMCA and other shared facilities. It was poorly funded, and the city of Cherokee took over the library in 1898 after voters passed a referendum. The Carnegie Corporation of New York had accepted the city's application for a grant for $10,000 on January 6, 1903. They hired Oskaloosa, Iowa architect Frank E. Wetherell to design the new building, which was built by Hansen and Lambkin of New Hampton, Iowa. Carnegie donated a further $2,000 to complete construction. It was dedicated on May 2, 1905. The skylight began to leak and was removed in 1910. The basement interior was completed in 1913. Vines grew across the exterior and were removed in the 1950s. Around the same time a new front entry was installed and interior renovations were made. Further renovations were completed in the 1980s, which included an elevator and handicap access. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Location

215 S. 2nd St.
Cherokee, Cherokee County, Iowa
42.74859, -95.55147

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Lewis Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cherokee Commercial Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Modern
0.2 mi
Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Seaman, Roy C. and Lena (Johnson), House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Boughton, Lemuel C. and Mary (Vaughn), House
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cherokee Public Library listed on the National Register?

Cherokee Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 8, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Cherokee Public Library?

Cherokee Public Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cherokee Public Library?

The period of significance for Cherokee Public Library is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Cherokee Public Library?

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