National Register of Historic Places

Meredith Public Library

Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire
Listed
December 13, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84000514

About this property

The Meredith Public Library is located at 91 Main Street in Meredith, New Hampshire. It is housed in a handsome brick Classical Revival structure designed by George Swan and built in 1900–01, with a major expansion in 1985. It was a gift from Benjamin Smith as a memorial to his parents, and is known as the Benjamin M. Smith Memorial Library. The building, one of the town's most architecturally sophisticated buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Meredith Public Library stands in the town center of Meredith, on the west side of Main Street opposite its junction with Lake Street. It is set on a rise, and looks over the southern end of the village commercial district. It is a single-story masonry structure with Classical Revival styling. The original main block is a T-shaped structure with a hipped roof and a slightly projecting gable above an entry recessed under a round arch. The building corners are pilastered, and there are bands of elaborate corbelling below the main roof. Windows are typically set in rectangular openings, with stone sills and keystoned lintels. The rear wing is less architecturally sophisticated, but with sympathetic styling. The building interior retains many original features, including panelled wainscoting, and Palladian carved motifs on arches separating sections of the interior. Prior to the construction of this building, Meredith's public library was housed in rented quarters. Construction of this building in 1900-01 was funded by Benjamin Smith as a memorial to his parents, with the proviso that the town acquire the land. It was designed by George Swan, and is the second library in New Hampshire's Lakes Region that was built in the Classical Revival style. National Register of Historic Places listings in Belknap County, New Hampshire

Location

50 Main St.
Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire
43.65439, -71.49916

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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Nearby Historic Sites

First Free Will Baptist Church in Meredith
Industrial
2 mi
Centre Harbor Village Historic District
Listed
3.7 mi
New Hampshire Veterans' Association Historic District
Listed
3.8 mi
Endicott Rock
Listed
4 mi
Swallow Boathouse
Industrial
5.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Meredith Public Library listed on the National Register?

Meredith Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Meredith Public Library?

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

What is the period of significance for Meredith Public Library?

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

Can I research the history near Meredith Public Library?

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