National Register of Historic Places

Sioux City Free Public Library

Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa
Listed
June 1, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97000461

About this property

The Sioux City Free Public Library is a historic building located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The library was located in a section of the Municipal Building, no longer extant, between 1892 and 1913. It had outgrown the space when the Library Board contacted Andrew Carnegie in 1910 about providing the funding for a new library building. Their request was initially turned down. They chose to work with New York City architect Edward L. Tilton, an architect preferred by Carnegie, in place of local architect William L. Steele who was working with the board previously. Local resident George Murphy donated the property for the new building. Meanwhile, Tilton designed the two-story brick Renaissance Revival building. On April 8, 1911, Carnegie approved the project and donated $75,000 for the building's construction. The new building was dedicated on March 6, 1913, and it is considered "an excellent early twentieth century example of the architectural development of library planning and design." It was Tilton's only building in Iowa. Plans were made to enlarge the building in 1938, but the bond issue failed. The library remained in its cramped quarters until 1989 when it moved into a former bank building downtown. Ownership of the Carnegie building was transferred to a group of investors in 1996 who transformed it into apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year.

Location

705 6th St.
Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa
42.50229, -90.40763

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Martin Hotel
Industrial
0.6 mi
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Industrial
0.6 mi
Mary Elizabeth Day Nursery
Industrial
0.8 mi
Sioux City Linseed Oil Works
Industrial
0.9 mi
Motor Mart Building
Industrial
1 mi

Nearby Battles

Attack on Sinsinawa Mound
1832Early Republic
4.7 mi
Skirmish at Gratiot's Grove
1832Early Republic
8.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sioux City Free Public Library listed on the National Register?

Sioux City Free Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Sioux City Free Public Library?

Sioux City Free Public Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sioux City Free Public Library?

The period of significance for Sioux City Free Public Library is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Sioux City Free Public Library?

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