I like these endcaps with the built-in display shelves. Pardon the fuzziness of the picture, but I wanted to show the stained glass. One of the treats inside was this cool looking cafe. You don’t walk directly into the library, but into a lobby. Walking through the doors was a surprise. The new Freeport Public Library is a short drive from the Carnegie Library. There were many cool features inside–such as airplanes hanging from the ceiling in the children’s section and a statue of Abe Lincoln reading to his son–but patron’s faces are too clear in the photos to post here. This library is very bright and open, but I prefer older architecture. Freeport Public LibraryĪfter spending time walking around the Carnegie Library and City Hall, we drove over to check out the new library. Schureman was a man who got what he wanted. Schureman (Dante, Shakespeare, Spencer, Chaucer, Homer, Uhland, Regelais, Emerson, Milton, Addison, and Newton). The first letters of the names inscribed on the frieze spell D.S. After the work was completed, however, City Officials learned the method to Schureman’s madness. City Officials liked the idea and agreed to it, oblivious to the architect’s motivation for choosing such a random selection of names. He later suggested that since the new City Hall Building would also house the public library, it would be appropriate to inscribe the cornice with names of famous writers and scientists. Schureman, asked that his name be inscribed on it. When the cornerstone for the new city hall building was designed the architect, D.S. What an interesting mix, I thought, but then didn’t think anything more about it until I ran across this fabulous explanation: Uhland, Rabalais, and Addison? I’d think Longfellow, Thoreau, and Stowe may have been more apropos for the period. Toggle Library Hours Freeport Public Library (815) 233-3000 100 E. The author names on the front were, however, rather surprising: Homer, Uhland, Rabelais, Emerson, Milton, Addison, and Newton. Missouri River Regional Library is committed to remain in the forefront of providing excellence in educational, informational, cultural, and recreational enrichment in the service of all members of the community. Carnegie’s philanthropy changing the library landscape of the country. That made sense, as City Hall often housed the town library prior to Mr. When I got around to the front of the building I saw that it was the City Hall. The front: Homer, Uhland, Rabelais, Emerson, Milton, Addison, and Newton.Īt first, I thought this building was perhaps an older library, but then I noticed there were also a couple signs for the police department on the side. The side: Dante, Shakespeare, Spencer, Chaucer.

Interesting order, I thought, but none of these names seemed particularly surprising choices (but now as I write this I do think Spencer a bit of an odd choice).

On the side of the building facing me as I walked over from the Carnegie Library are Dante, Shakespeare, Spencer, and Chaucer. Directly across from the Carnegie Library is a massive Masonic Temple, but the building that caught my eye is one with the names of authors engraved on the cornice. There are several beautiful buildings along Stephen Street.

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