Hanover Town Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hanover Town Library
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 130 Etna Rd., Hanover, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Fletcher, Robert E. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000371 |
| Added to NRHP | April 25, 1997 |
The Hanover Town Library, also known as the Etna Library, is a special old building in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. It's a historic branch library that serves the Etna part of town. This building was the very first one built just to be a library in Hanover. Because it's so important, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a simple brick building, designed by a Dartmouth College professor named Robert E. Fletcher and finished in 1905.
Contents
What Does the Etna Library Look Like?
The Etna Library is found in the village of Etna, in the eastern part of Hanover. It's on the north side of Etna Road, close to King Road.
Building Materials and Shape
It's a modest, one-story building made of red brick. It has special stone (granite) details and a hip roof, which means the roof slopes down on all four sides.
Front Entrance and Windows
The front of the building has three sections. There are two narrow windows on each side of the main entrance. Each window has a smaller window above it, called a transom window. The paired windows also have rough-cut stone pieces above and below them.
The main entrance is covered by a small porch that sticks out. This porch has round columns supporting a decorative top part. The door itself is a single door, set in a large arched opening. It has wide windows on both sides.
Special Features
At the back of the building, there's a part that sticks out. This part was originally designed to hold a strong room, like a vault, for important town documents.
A Look Back in Time: History of the Library
Hanover's first library where people could borrow books started way back in 1801. It was a private effort, not run by the town. This library and other similar groups were located in the central Etna village throughout the 1800s.
Becoming a Public Library
In 1898, the town of Hanover decided to create a public library. They used the collections from these older private libraries to start it. In March 1905, the town approved money to build a new library. This building was finished later that same year.
The Architect and Changes Over Time
The library was designed by Robert E. Fletcher. He was a professor of engineering at Dartmouth College. The building hasn't changed much since it was built. The main change was adding a restroom in what used to be the vault area.
