North Hampton Library facts for kids
|
North Hampton Library
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 237 Atlantic Ave., North Hampton, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | J. Lawrence Berry |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 13001149 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | February 5, 2014 |
The Old North Hampton Library is a special old building in North Hampton, New Hampshire. It is located at 237 Atlantic Avenue. This small, one-story building was designed by an architect named J. Lawrence Berry from Boston. It was built in 1907.
This building was the very first library built specifically for the town of North Hampton. It served as the town's library until a new one was built nearby in 1973. Today, the old library building is used for town offices. It was recognized as a historic place in 2014 by the National Register of Historic Places. It was also added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2013.
What the Building Looks Like
The old North Hampton Library building is found among other town buildings. It is on the north side of Atlantic Avenue, which is also called New Hampshire Route 111. It's a short distance east from where Atlantic Avenue meets Lafayette Road (U.S. Route 1).
The building has one story. Its side walls are made of fieldstone, which are natural stones found in fields. The roof has a gable shape on the sides. The front of the building also uses fieldstone up to the bottom of the windows. Above that, it has a half-timbered look. This means it has decorative wood beams on the outside, like old English houses.
The main door is in the middle of the front. It has a special covered entrance called a gabled portico. This portico sticks out and has large wooden supports. On the roof above the entrance, there are two small, rounded windows called eyebrow dormers. In 1955, an addition was built onto the back of the building. The town's newer library is located further back on the same property.
History of the Library
North Hampton started its public library in 1892. This happened after the state of New Hampshire passed a law that encouraged towns to create public libraries. At first, the library's books were kept inside the North Hampton Town Hall.
People in town wanted a special building just for the library. So, in 1899, they started trying to raise money and make plans. The architect J. Lawrence Berry first drew a design in 1904. However, the town meeting, which is where local citizens make decisions, decided it was too expensive. So, they chose a different design, which is the building we see today. It was finally built in 1907.
The old library building was used for many years. But by 1973, the town needed a bigger, more modern library. So, a new library was built. Since then, the original library building has been used for town offices.
