Gilmanton Ironworks Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gilmanton Iron Works Library
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Elm St., Gilmanton, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | Twombly, Herbert A. |
| Architect | Bacon, Willard M. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000188 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1989 |
The Gilmanton Ironworks Library is a historic building in the Iron Works village of Gilmanton, New Hampshire. You can find it at 10 Elm Street. This library was built between 1916 and 1917. It was the first library in Belknap County to be built in the Colonial Revival style. The building still works as a branch of the Gilmanton public library system today. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Contents
About the Library Building
The Gilmanton Ironworks Library is right in the middle of Gilmanton Ironworks village. It's on the west side of Elm Street, just south of where it meets New Hampshire Route 140. It's a small, one-story building made of wood. It has a special roof that slopes down on all sides, called a hip roof. The outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards.
Outside the Library
The front of the building, which faces the street, has three sections. The main entrance is in the middle. It has a small porch with a pointed roof, called a gabled portico. This porch is held up by two round columns that look like the Doric style from ancient Greece. These columns support a flat piece above them and a triangular gable.
The windows on each side of the door are special. They have three parts: a large window in the middle and two smaller windows on either side.
Inside the Library
When you go inside, there's a small entrance area called a vestibule. The main desk for the librarian is in the center. On one side of the desk is the reading room, where people can sit and read. On the other side are the stacks, which is where all the books are kept on shelves.
A Look at Library History
The very first library in Gilmanton was a private one, started in 1801. It was a place where people could borrow books. It first started in a private home near the Smith Meeting House. Later, it moved to the Iron Works Village.
Another library began in 1815. This one was for the students of the Gilmanton Academy. It was located in the town center, at Gilmanton Corner Village.
The Public Library System
New state laws in the 1890s led to the creation of a public library system in Gilmanton. By 1915, there were library branches in each of the town's three villages. The branch in Gilmanton Ironworks was in a business building. This building also held the town's offices.
In 1915, a big fire destroyed much of the village, including that building. Luckily, most of the library's books were saved! The library quickly reopened in a temporary spot.
Designing the New Library
The new library building was designed by an architect named Willard M. Bacon. He was from Boston, Massachusetts, but he spent his summers near Crystal Lake. The library was built between 1916 and 1917.
Its design was in the Colonial Revival style. This was the first building of its kind in Belknap County to use this style. Before this, most libraries were built in the Classical Revival style. After the Gilmanton Ironworks Library, many new libraries in the area also started using the Colonial Revival design.
