Property Record
32 SHEBOYGAN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Fond du Lac Public Library |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Fond du Lac Public Library |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 55181 |
| Location (Address): | 32 SHEBOYGAN ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Fond du Lac |
| City: | Fond du Lac |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | 2004 |
| Survey Date: | 2010 |
| Historic Use: | library |
| Architectural Style: | Contemporary |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Stepnoski & Peterson; Durrant |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | Previously surveyed in 1988. 2010-2011 Intensive Survey Report Info: Constructed of brick and steel, this two-story, Contemporary-style library is two stories high and topped with a flat roof. Its primary (north) entrance is located at the center and is outlined by stone sheathing, with the words #28;FOND DU LAC PUBLIC LIBRARY#29; noted above, as well as a small metal sculpture. The remaining facade, as well as the west and east wall of the building, are alternating panels of brick and vertical sections of glass. A continuous line of glass runs immediately beneath the overhanging eave of the flat roof. A more recent, but complementary addition extends from the building's rear. Although the roots of the Fond du Lac library can be traced back as far as the 1850s, the City did not officially establish a library until November 1876. Residents approved a tax that would create a free library and a library board and the city's first library, located in Amory Hall (no longer extant), was opened on 17 August 1877. In 1902, the Fond du Lac Women's Club applied for a grant from the Carnegie Foundation and, with an award of $30,000, the city's first permanent library building was erected in 1904. That building remained in use until it was razed in 1966 and the subject structure, designed by local architects Stepnoski & Peterson, was erected between 1966 and 1967. The estimated cost of the building was $1,015,000, with $20,000 being financed by a federal grant, while the City was responsible for the remainder. In 2004, a 12,000 square-foot addition was put on the rear and interior renovations were also made by Durrant, at an estimated cost of $4,376,499. The subject building, which replaced an earlier Carnegie library at this location, has served as the community's library since its opening in 1967. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | See 2010-2011 Intensive Survey report for citations in material below. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |