Claverack Free Library
Encyclopedia
The Claverack Free Library is located on NY 23B
near the center of the hamlet of Claverack
, New York, United States. It is a small Colonial Revival
building constructed in the early 1930s from a design by local architect Lucius Moore.
The library itself formally dates to 1891. It had been in several buildings before the expansion of nearby NY 9H
forced it to move a short distance west to its current building. In 1998 the library building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The building itself is a single-story, three-bay frame
structure on a concrete foundation
sided in beaded wideboard and topped with a gable
d roof shingled in wood pierced by a brick chimney at the west end. A single-story frame wing is on the west elevation.
Two small brick steps lead to the main entrance in the center of the south (front) facade
. It is sheltered by a porch with a pair of Ionic
columns supporting an entablature
and pediment
. The paneled main door is flanked by glass sidelights and topped with a transom
. The two windows on either side bay have paneled green shutters
.
The east facade has a Palladian window topped by an attic vent. There are three evenly spaced windows on the north (rear) elevation. The west wing, slightly offset from the front, has three windows on the south side and one on the west with similar treatments to the front of the main block.
Inside, the main block has an open, vaulted ceiling. At its west end, lit by the Palladian window, is a fireplace and chimney breast with ornate moldings
inspired by 18th century originals. The west wing is partitioned into two spaces. The front one is the children's room; the rear has most of the library's stacks.
mansion sometime in the 1880s. Later it moved to an old stone house across what is now Route 9H from the current building. In 1891 it was formally organized as the Claverack Free Library and Reading Room Association.
That organization soon bought the 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) lot where the current structure is located. An old store that had also served as a post office was converted into the first dedicated library building. It remained adequate for many years, but in the 1920s began to show its age.
Forty years later, in 1931, the state Highway Department
was planning to expand Route 9H, an eastern loop from US 9 between Bell Pond to the south and Kinderhook to the north that avoids the city of Hudson
. It would be necessary to condemn
the library building, and after several months of negotiations the association accepted an offer of $5,000 ($ in contemporary dollars). This would later rise to almost the full $7,800 it would cost to build the present library ($ in contemporary dollars). The association turned to alumni of Claverack College
, closed 30 years earlier, to make up the difference. It rented space in several houses and other locations for the year it took to build the new library.
The association hired Hudson architect Lucius Moore to adapt a design from models sent to them by the state Education Department. They selected a small Colonial Revival
building that had been used, and built for a similar cost, by the library in the Long Island
community of Bellport
. The model was slightly adapted to be more consistent with local buildings from the Colonial era. The wideboard siding is beaded, as is the case on 18th-century Claverack houses, and the roof pitch
steeper than the original design.
The first association meeting in the new library was held late in 1932, although the building was not yet quite finished. A thousand-dollar bequest
from one local estate paid for the furnishings. Moore bought the bronze sconce
s on the chimney in New York City at his own expense. The woodwork
was custom-milled for the library.
Since its construction, the only significant alteration was the addition of the west wing in 1950. Moore was still practicing, and designed it to be completely sympathetic to the original building. The local Lions Club donated money for the lighting of the new wing.
New York State Route 23B
New York State Route 23B is an east–west state highway located in western Columbia County, New York, in the United States. The route is a former section of NY 23 that runs for from NY 9G southwest of Hudson to NY 9H in Claverack...
near the center of the hamlet of Claverack
Claverack-Red Mills, New York
Claverack-Red Mills is a census-designated place in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census....
, New York, United States. It is a small Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
building constructed in the early 1930s from a design by local architect Lucius Moore.
The library itself formally dates to 1891. It had been in several buildings before the expansion of nearby NY 9H
New York State Route 9H
New York State Route 9H is a state highway located within Columbia County, New York, United States. It runs from US 9, NY 82, and NY 23 at its southern end in Bell Pond to its northern end in Valatie, also at US 9....
forced it to move a short distance west to its current building. In 1998 the library building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Building
The library is located on the north side of Route 23B, a short distance west of Route 9H. A row of mature trees screen the building from the latter highway. An unpaved driveway on the west leads to parking in the rear. A firehouse is located to the north, and a small former elementary school to the west. A gas station is across the road.The building itself is a single-story, three-bay frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
structure on a concrete foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
sided in beaded wideboard and topped with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof shingled in wood pierced by a brick chimney at the west end. A single-story frame wing is on the west elevation.
Two small brick steps lead to the main entrance in the center of the south (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. It is sheltered by a porch with a pair of Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns supporting an entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
and pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. The paneled main door is flanked by glass sidelights and topped with a transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
. The two windows on either side bay have paneled green shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
.
The east facade has a Palladian window topped by an attic vent. There are three evenly spaced windows on the north (rear) elevation. The west wing, slightly offset from the front, has three windows on the south side and one on the west with similar treatments to the front of the main block.
Inside, the main block has an open, vaulted ceiling. At its west end, lit by the Palladian window, is a fireplace and chimney breast with ornate moldings
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
inspired by 18th century originals. The west wing is partitioned into two spaces. The front one is the children's room; the rear has most of the library's stacks.
History
The library began informally in the parlors of the nearby OakledgeRev. Dr. Elbert S. Porter House
Rev. Dr. Elbert S. Porter House, also known as "Oakledge," is a historic home located at Claverack in Columbia County, New York. It was built in 1846 and is a Greek Revival–style residence. It is a 2-story, three-by-two-bay, side entry frame dwelling with a single-storied square-columned porch...
mansion sometime in the 1880s. Later it moved to an old stone house across what is now Route 9H from the current building. In 1891 it was formally organized as the Claverack Free Library and Reading Room Association.
That organization soon bought the 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) lot where the current structure is located. An old store that had also served as a post office was converted into the first dedicated library building. It remained adequate for many years, but in the 1920s began to show its age.
Forty years later, in 1931, the state Highway Department
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
was planning to expand Route 9H, an eastern loop from US 9 between Bell Pond to the south and Kinderhook to the north that avoids the city of Hudson
Hudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
. It would be necessary to condemn
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
the library building, and after several months of negotiations the association accepted an offer of $5,000 ($ in contemporary dollars). This would later rise to almost the full $7,800 it would cost to build the present library ($ in contemporary dollars). The association turned to alumni of Claverack College
Claverack College
Claverack College, also known as Washington Seminary and Hudson River Institute, was a coeducational boarding school in Claverack, New York, United States. It was in operation from 1779 until 1902.-History:...
, closed 30 years earlier, to make up the difference. It rented space in several houses and other locations for the year it took to build the new library.
The association hired Hudson architect Lucius Moore to adapt a design from models sent to them by the state Education Department. They selected a small Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
building that had been used, and built for a similar cost, by the library in the Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
community of Bellport
Bellport, New York
Bellport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the Bell family, early settlers of the area. The public education system in Bellport makes up the South Country Central School District consisting of six...
. The model was slightly adapted to be more consistent with local buildings from the Colonial era. The wideboard siding is beaded, as is the case on 18th-century Claverack houses, and the roof pitch
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
steeper than the original design.
The first association meeting in the new library was held late in 1932, although the building was not yet quite finished. A thousand-dollar bequest
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
from one local estate paid for the furnishings. Moore bought the bronze sconce
Sconce
Sconce may refer to any of the following:* Sconce , a military fortification* Sconce * Sconcing, imposing a penalty in the form of drink* SCoNCe, , University of California, Irvine...
s on the chimney in New York City at his own expense. The woodwork
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
was custom-milled for the library.
Since its construction, the only significant alteration was the addition of the west wing in 1950. Moore was still practicing, and designed it to be completely sympathetic to the original building. The local Lions Club donated money for the lighting of the new wing.