502 W 2ND ST (AKA MAIN ST W) | Property Record | Wisconsin Historical Society

Property Record

502 W 2ND ST (AKA MAIN ST W)

Architecture and History Inventory
502 W 2ND ST (AKA MAIN ST W) | Property Record | Wisconsin Historical Society
NAMES
Historic Name:VAUGHN LIBRARY
Other Name:VAUGHN LIBRARY
Contributing: Yes
Reference Number:906
PROPERTY LOCATION
Location (Address):502 W 2ND ST (AKA MAIN ST W)
County:Ashland
City:Ashland
Township/Village:
Unincorporated Community:
Town:
Range:
Direction:
Section:
Quarter Section:
Quarter/Quarter Section:
PROPERTY FEATURES
Year Built:1888
Additions:
Survey Date:1983
Historic Use:library
Architectural Style:Romanesque Revival
Structural System:
Wall Material:Brick
Architect:
Other Buildings On Site:
Demolished?:No
Demolished Date:
NATIONAL AND STATE REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
National/State Register Listing Name: West Second Street Historic District
National Register Listing Date:2/2/1984
State Register Listing Date:1/1/1989
National Register Multiple Property Name:
NOTES
Additional Information:ENTIRE BLDG RECENTLY RESTOREDHOUSES LIBRARY, ASHLAND CITY MUSEUM AND ASHLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY [Date Cnst:CA] See district site file. Library was moved to ground level in 1936 and the alterations were probably made to the ground level at this time in a simple Art-Deco style. DESCRIPTION: Built ca 1888 and pictured in most historical accounts of Ashland's early growth, the Vaughn Library building once housed Poole's Wholesale and Retail Dry Goods Store on the first floor and the library on the second floor. Built on a massive scale at the corner of Vaughn Avenue and West Second Street, the three-story red brick structure is a lone survivor from the other large brick commercial blocks built in the Romanesque Revival style. The first floor shows some changes including the glass block windows and the Second Street entry. Once threatened with abandonment, the building remains largely unaltered today. Tall and narrow windows were relieving arches on the second and third floors are crowned by the typically massive brick corbel table and cornice that wrap around the finely finished Vaughn Avenue and Secon Street facades. Noteworthy on the Vaughn Avenue side is the arched entry and original cut stone sign for the library. Named after its benefactor and the prominent Ashland citizen, Honorable Samuel S. Vaughn, the library fulfilled the philanthropic desires of Ashland's leaders in the late 1880's when "nothing is more prized and more highly indicative of a progressine and agressive city than a free public library." Reviving its sense of pride, the City of Ashland has begun renovation of the Vaugh Library building for use as the library and the location of the Ashland City Museum. SIGNIFICANCE: This large and very well-preserved 1888 library building is significant as the best preserved example of simple Romanesque Revival style architecture in Ashland and for its association with the Honorable Samuel S. Vaughn. The building has remained a library since it opened and, then as now, is a visual landmark for the City of Ashland. Although the library is designed in a different architectural style than the Vaughn Block (#11), the two are related by their association with the great Ashland benefactor, Samuel Vaughn, and for their excellent design. With renovation scheduled for completion in the fall of 1983, the Vaughn Library will represent with the Old Post Office (#1) the City of Ashland's continuing and well-planned efforts to preserve the City's most significant and beautiful historic buildings. Samuel S. Vaughn was born in Ohio in 1830 and came to LaPointe Wisconsin in 1942 with his brother to work as a fur trader with the Indians. In 1869-70 he served in the Wisconsin Assebly. He was also involved with the Wisconsin Central Railroad (director). He was responsible for many of Ashland's early docks and warehouses. In 1871 he laid out Vaughn's Division. See also Vaughn Block ISF 36-33. The 1983 renovation resulted in the blocking in of exterior windows and the addition of stairs. As of 1998, there were no plans to rehabilitate or relocate the library.
Bibliographic References:[A] ASHLAND SALUTES 100 YEARS OF PROGRESS [B] December 1998 phone conversation with library employee. Jim Trojanowski, Director. Eckert, Kathryn. Sandstone Buildings in the Lake Superior Region. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2000.
RECORD LOCATION
Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin

Have Questions?

If you didn't find the record you were looking for, or have other questions about historic preservation, please email us and we can help:

If you have an update, correction, or addition to a record, please include this in your message:

  • AHI number
  • Information to be added or changed
  • Source information

Note: When providing a historical fact, such as the story of a historic event or the name of an architect, be sure to list your sources. We will only create or update a property record if we can verify a submission is factual and accurate.

How to Cite

For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model:

Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory Citation
Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, "Historic Name", "Town", "County", "State", "Reference Number".