Winona Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winona Public Library |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Winona Public Library from the northeast | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Public library |
| Established | 1886 |
| Location | 151 West Fifth Street, Winona, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 44°3′4″N 91°38′26″W / 44.05111°N 91.64056°W |
| Collection | |
| Size | 73,000 |
| Website | https://winona.lib.mn.us/ |
| Phone number | 507-452-4582 |
The Winona Public Library is a public library in Winona, Minnesota, United States. It's a special place where people can borrow books, learn new things, and connect with their community. The library is located in a beautiful old building from 1899, designed in a style called Neoclassical. This building is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It's also the oldest library in Minnesota that has always been in its original, specially built home!
Contents
A Look Back at the Library's History
The idea for a library in Winona started way back in 1857. A group of local people created something called the Winona Lyceum. To use their library, you had to pay a fee. This group later changed its name to the Young Men's Library Association in 1863. By 1870, it had grown quite a bit, with 268 members and 1,670 books!
But in 1875, the library had to close because it owed money. Two years later, three local women helped pay off the debt. They started the library again under a new name: the Winona Library Association. On March 22, 1886, this association gave its collection of 3,500 books to the city of Winona. This is how the city got its first free public library!
Building a Permanent Home
In the late 1890s, a wealthy local businessman named William H. Laird donated $50,000. This money was used to build a permanent home for the library. The library association paid for the furniture, shelves, and other things inside.
The library building has a dome and was designed in a Neoclassical style. It was created by Warren Powers Laird and Edgar Viguers Seeler. The original building was about 85 feet long and 65 feet wide. It had a dome that was 56 feet high. The outside walls are made of Indiana Limestone, and the steps are from local Winona limestone. The columns at the old Fifth Street entrance are made of special Creole marble.
Special Features and Art
The library's design included special spaces for public art. These spaces were meant for displaying paintings, statues, and glass art. Inside, the library has cool features like glass floors in the book stacks. It also has fancy copper-faced shelves and stairs.
Some of the artwork includes a large painting by Kenyon Cox called The Light of Learning. There's also a marble copy of a famous sculpture by Antonio Canova called Hebe.
Modern Updates
The Winona Public Library added a special children's department in 1921. By 1949, they started collecting magazines and newspapers too. In 1987, the library had a big remodeling project. The main entrance was moved from Fifth Street to Johnson Street. This change made it easier for everyone to get into the library.
