nrhp # 81000058- The 6,000 sq. ft. building was designed by Louis Claude of the Madison firm, Claude and Stark. Louis spent his youth at his parents’ home at Devil’s Lake, giving special meaning to his selection as the architect. A $15,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie made the construction possible. Karl Isenberg, a local contractor, was the builder. Architecturally, the building is of the neo-classical style with an exterior of brick and limestone. The roof is of clay tile. Interior features of note are the red oak woodwork and a frieze in the east reading room, originally the children’s room, that is a copy of "The Dancing Boys" by Della Robbia. There are two fireplaces, one upstairs and one downstairs.
At the opening of the library, the collection numbered 5,000 books. Story hours for children were begun in 1908. The library has been in continuous operation since 1903 except for a 3-month closing in 1936 following a fire that damaged the west and central areas of the main floor. The fire began in a basement room being loaned to a WPA sewing project.
from waymarking.org
