Rushmore Memorial Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rushmore Memorial Library
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Front (east) elevation and south profile, 2008
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| Location | Highland Mills, NY |
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| Nearest city | Newburgh |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Howard Gregory |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000276 |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 2008 |
The Rushmore Memorial Library, also known as the Rushmore Memorial Building, is a special stone building in Highland Mills, New York. It was built in the 1920s. A local resident named Charles E. Rushmore donated money for it. He is also the person Mount Rushmore is named after! This building used to be the public library for the Town of Woodbury. Now, it is the home of the town's historical society. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. This means it's a very important historical site.
Contents
Exploring the Library Building
The Rushmore Memorial Library is a one-story building. It has three sections on each side, called "bays." The outside walls are made of a special local stone called "puddingstone." This stone is rough and not cut into perfect shapes. The roof is a "Mission-style" roof. It has ceramic tiles and hangs over the building on all sides. A stone chimney rises from the west side. There is a ramp for wheelchairs at the back entrance. Steps lead up to the front entrance.
Inside, the building has one large room. It features a big stone fireplace. There are also beautiful bookshelves made of mahogany wood. Other original wooden decorations and furniture are still there. You can also find a bronze plaque inside. It has a poem written by Jane Rushmore Patterson. She was Charles Rushmore's daughter. The basement area is fully dug out and ready for use.
The Library's History
The public library in Woodbury started after World War I. It began as a small collection of books. First, the books were kept on a shelf at a local drugstore. As the collection grew, it moved to a grocery store. Later, it moved to the telephone company office. Charles Rushmore's daughter, Jane Patterson, wanted a permanent home for the library. Her parents bought the land and paid for the building. The agreement stated that the building must always be used as a library. If not, it would go back to the Rushmore family.
Designing the Building
Howard Gregory designed the library. He was a young local architect and a war veteran. His father's company had built the Rushmore family home in 1906. Howard oversaw the library's construction in 1924. One of his early drawings is still displayed in the building today. He used uncut stone for the building. This style matched the Arts and Crafts movement. It also fit with other rustic stone buildings nearby. Examples include the gatehouse at the F.F. Proctor estate. Also, structures in Harriman and Bear Mountain state parks. The new community of Tuxedo Park also had similar stone buildings.
Changes Over the Years
Charles Rushmore passed away in 1931. Eight years later, the library was officially renamed in his memory. At that time, it was given to the Highland Mills Common School District. In 1951, this district joined others to form the new Monroe-Woodbury Central School District. The library stayed under the school district's control for five years. Then, in 1956, the school district gave it back to the town. In 1958, it became the Rushmore Memorial Public Library. It was the Highland Mills branch of the town library. It was also one of the first members of the Ramapo-Catskill Library System. This system was created the next year.
In 1966, all volunteer services at the library ended. A wheelchair ramp was added in 1970. A window was changed into a door for this new entrance. Fifteen years later, in 1985, the town built a newer, larger library. The town thought about what to do with the old building. They decided the local historical society would use it. They would keep collections about local history there.
At that time, the historical society tried twice to get the library listed on the National Register. Both attempts failed. In 2008, they tried again. With help from New York's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, they finally succeeded.
