J. T. and E. J. Crumbaugh Library facts for kids

The J. T. and E. J. Crumbaugh Spiritualist Church and Public Library is a special building in LeRoy, Illinois. It holds both a church and a public library. This unique place opened its doors on January 1, 1927. It was built to honor James Thomas Crumbaugh and his wife, Elizabeth Jane Crumbaugh. They wanted this building to be a lasting memory after they passed away.

History of the Crumbaugh Library

The idea for the library came from James Thomas Crumbaugh. He was born on January 24, 1832, in McLean County, Illinois. His parents, Daniel and Martha M. Robinson, were of German background. James Thomas grew up with his twin brother, Daniel T. Crumbaugh. They even worked together on their family farm.

Later, James Thomas decided to rent out his farms. He moved to the town of LeRoy. There, he built his home at 313 East Center Street. James Thomas also helped start the Citizens Bank. This bank later became The First National Bank. He did this with his brother, Leonard A. Crumbaugh, and a friend, James Bonnette.

On September 13, 1862, James Thomas married Elizabeth Jane Wiley. Elizabeth was born on November 17, 1841. She also grew up in McLean County. They had one son together, named "Bright Eyes." He was born on July 2, 1865, but sadly passed away on August 20 of the same year. The loss of their son made the Crumbaughs very interested in spiritualism. This belief stayed with them for their entire lives.

James Thomas passed away on April 3, 1905. Elizabeth died less than a year later, on January 24, 1906. In their will, they asked for a library and a spiritualist church to be built. They wanted these buildings to be a living memorial to them. Their family tried to challenge this decision. However, after some legal challenges, their wishes were finally carried out. The library and the Spiritualist Church both opened on January 1, 1927. They are still used by the community today.

Architecture of the Crumbaugh Building

The construction of the library and church was managed by F. C. Swartz. He was from Villa Grove, Illinois. The project cost $60,000. Mr. A. L. Pillsbury of Bloomington, Illinois, designed the building.

At first, they planned to build two separate buildings. But then, they decided to join them. This created one building with a wing for the church and another for the library. The building has a colonial design. It is made of red brick from Danville and has a Bedford stone finish.

The beautiful stone carvings were created by Joseph Petarde. Petarde was originally from Rome, Italy. He later lived in Peoria, Illinois, and Bloomington, Illinois. You can also see his work at the Illinois Wesleyan School of Music. Other places include the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. He also worked on the McBarnes Memorial Building in Bloomington. His art is at the gymnasium in Illinois State University and St. Peter's Church in Peoria.

The Crumbaugh Library

The library itself holds about 14,000 books. These books cover many different topics and genres. Because it is an endowed library, anyone can get a library card for free.

Besides books, the library also offers computers for public use. You can also use the internet and printers there. The library keeps old copies of the LeRoy Journal. This is the local newspaper. You can find copies going back to 1903 on microfilm.

Genealogy Section

The Crumbaugh Library has a special section for genealogy. This means studying family history. It started in the fall of 1977. At that time, the Crumbaugh family bibles and history were placed in the library.

Since then, this section has collected over 500 family histories. Most of these are from local families. Anyone can donate their family's history to this section. These documents are for research only. They cannot be taken out of the library.

In addition to the LeRoy Journals, the library has many LeRoy High School yearbooks. These go all the way back to 1920. Other helpful resources include indexes of marriages and deaths in LeRoy. They also have records for the Saybrook area. You can find a collection of The Farmer City Mirror. This is a publication from the Farmer City Genealogical and Historical Society. There is also a collection of The Gleanings. This is the McLean County Genealogical Society publication. Finally, they have records from the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Museum

The J. T. and E. J. Crumbaugh Library also has the Empire Township Historical Museum. This museum is dedicated to the history of LeRoy and Empire Township. You can find the museum on the lower level of the library.

The LeRoy Historical Society first opened the museum. However, the Historical Society closed in 2006. A group of community volunteers worked hard to reopen it in 2008. The museum displays items related to LeRoy's history. These include things from local businesses, schools, and organizations. The museum also works closely with the LeRoy Community Unit School District #2.