Provincetown Public Library
About this property
The Old Provincetown Public Library building is a historic building at 330 Commercial Street in downtown Provincetown, Massachusetts. Built in 1874, it served as the town's public library from then until 2002, when the library was moved to the former Center Methodist Church. The building, a fine local example of Second Empire architecture, now houses the local tourist board. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The former Provincetown Public Library building stands on Commercial Street, Provincetown's principal commercial street, at the northwest corner with Freeman Street. It is a 2-1/2 story wood-frame structure, with a mansard roof providing a full third story. The exterior is finished in wooden clapboards, and the roof features a mansarded turret at the center of the front facade. The front is three bays wide, with a center entrance. Windows are sash, and are framed in a variety of different bracketed moulded hoods, some featuring simple cornices, with others have segmented-arch or triangular pediments. The main cornice is adorned with paired brackets, and a second cornice marks the transition between the differing slopes of the roof. A 1970s addition extends the building to the rear. The former library building was constructed in 1874, and was a gift to the town from Nathaniel Freeman. Originally, only the ground floor housed the library: the second floor housed a YMCA, and the third floor was used as commercial space. In the library's early years, the most colorful of its stewards was Abbie Cook Putnam. In 1977, the library — by now the building's sole occupant — was extensively renovated. The librarian at the time was Alice O'Grady Joseph (d 2010), who was in charge from 1965 to 1982. The space housed the library until 2002, when the library was moved to the former Center Methodist Church. The building now houses the local tourist board offices. National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Laurel Guadazno, "Architectural Treasure Restored", Provincetown Banner, April 28, 2005
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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.
Everything a full report reveals about Provincetown Public Library
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Questions about this property
When was Provincetown Public Library listed on the National Register?
Provincetown Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 20, 1975.
What type of historic resource is Provincetown Public Library?
Provincetown Public Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Provincetown Public Library?
The period of significance for Provincetown Public Library is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Provincetown Public Library?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Provincetown Public Library will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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