National Register of Historic Places

Orange Free Public Library

Orange, Essex County, New Jersey
Listed
September 27, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000393

About this property

The Orange Public Library is the free public library in Orange, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Serving a population of about 33,000, the library collection contains 150,000 volumes and circulates 56,000 annually. The library began in 1883 as association library, supported by dues, endowments and donations and opened its current main building, designed by McKim, Mead, and White, in 1901. Across its facade is engraved Stickler Memorial in honor of the son, who had died suddenly a year earlier, of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stickler, who donated the $100,000 cost of its construction. It was built during the "free library movement" at the turn of the 20th century. In a 1945 referendum the citizens approved support for a free public library, and took over the operations of the building as municipally operated facility. It was added to the state and federal registers of historic places in 1981. In 2010 it was estimated that refurbishing the building, in need of repairs, would cost $1.5 million. Dennis Kowal Architects, historic preservation and library design specialists, developed Preservation Plans to restore the building and update the library services resulting in a Historic Trust Grant. In phase one, the rotunda was opened and phase two is under study. National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, New Jersey

Location

348 Main St.
Orange, Essex County, New Jersey
40.77256, -74.23175

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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

Orange Station
Industrial
0.1 mi
Day Street Public School
Industrial
0.2 mi
Orange Memorial Hospital Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.5 mi
Edison Storage Battery Company Building
Civil War
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Short Hills
1777Revolutionary War
5 mi
Battle of Connecticut Farms
1780Revolutionary War
5.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Orange Free Public Library listed on the National Register?

Orange Free Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Orange Free Public Library?

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

What is the period of significance for Orange Free Public Library?

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

Can I research the history near Orange Free Public Library?

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