Ames Free Library
Encyclopedia
The Ames Free Library is a public library
designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located at 53 Main Street, Easton, Massachusetts
, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Oakes Ames Memorial Hall
.
The library was built from 1877 to 1879, although it did not open until 1883. It is generally rectangular, with broad gable projecting from its north end and a rectangular tower rising where the gable meets the main mass. The gable's front facade contains a heavily arched entry on the first floor and a row of five arched windows separated by pairs of short columns above. The facade is light-brown Milford granite laid in random ashlar with reddish-brown Longmeadow brownstone trim. Its roof is red-orange tile. A children's wing (red brick) was added in 1931, eliminating the original lavatory and document room.
Within, the library's major rooms, stack wing, hall, and reading room are laid out longitudinally. The reading room's fireplace is primarily by Stanford White
, and the stone and bronze medallions of Oliver Ames
were designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located at 53 Main Street, Easton, Massachusetts
Easton, Massachusetts
Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,112 at the 2010 census.Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator.- History :...
, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Oakes Ames Memorial Hall
Oakes Ames Memorial Hall
Oakes Ames Memorial Hall is a historic hall designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson, with landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted. It is located at Main Street, Easton, Massachusetts, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Ames Free Library.The hall was built 1879-1881 as a...
.
The library was built from 1877 to 1879, although it did not open until 1883. It is generally rectangular, with broad gable projecting from its north end and a rectangular tower rising where the gable meets the main mass. The gable's front facade contains a heavily arched entry on the first floor and a row of five arched windows separated by pairs of short columns above. The facade is light-brown Milford granite laid in random ashlar with reddish-brown Longmeadow brownstone trim. Its roof is red-orange tile. A children's wing (red brick) was added in 1931, eliminating the original lavatory and document room.
Within, the library's major rooms, stack wing, hall, and reading room are laid out longitudinally. The reading room's fireplace is primarily by Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
, and the stone and bronze medallions of Oliver Ames
Oliver Ames
Oliver Ames was a U.S. political figure and financier. He was the 35th Governor of Massachusetts . He was the son of Oakes Ames , a United States Congressman who was censured in the Credit Mobilier scandal, and the nephew of Oliver Ames, Jr..-Biography:Ames was born in North Easton, Massachusetts...
were designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens was the Irish-born American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who most embodied the ideals of the "American Renaissance"...
.
See also
- H.H. Richardson Historic District of North EastonH.H. Richardson Historic District of North EastonH. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton is a National Historic Landmark District in North Easton, Massachusetts. It consists of five buildings designed by noted 19th century architect Henry Hobson Richardson...
- North Easton Historic DistrictNorth Easton Historic DistrictNorth Easton Historic District is a historic district located in Easton, Massachusetts along both sides of Main-Lincoln Streets.The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972...