| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
PEDIMENTED ENTRANCE PORTICO W/IONIC COLUMNS. CENTRAL DOME.
During the 1970s the glass floor was removed from the west wing. As of 1998, plans were discussed to install an elevator, a difficult task not only because the addition would require sawing through marble, but also because the building is a beloved landmark in the community and members want to see both the exterior and interior preserved. The project is estimated to cost 1/4 million dollars. (C).
"One of Kenosha's prominent Neo-Classical Revival civic buildings, the Simmons Library was designed by nationally acclaimed architect Daniel H. Burnham. In Chicago, Burnham was chief of construction and director of works for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. The exposition's "White City" did much to fuel the Neo-Classical Revival in architecture in the early twentieth century in America.
Built for $150,000, the library is a one-story building sitting on a raised foundation. It has a cross plan and is built of Bedford limestone, decorated with marble, bronze, mosaics, and frescoes. At the center is the building's dome, sitting on a drum and decorated with a running swag design. Steps lead to monumental bronze doors. Visitors are invited inside the building to view the beautiful marble interior.
In 1899, Z.G. Simmons, a local industrialist, offered to build a free public library and give it to the city. He stipulated that the library be named for his late son and that the city levy a tax to support its operations. The city agreed, and on May 30, 1900, the new library was dedicated." Historic Kenosha: Library Park Historic District, Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2005
A Historic Structure Report of this building can be found in Room 312 at the Wisconsin Historical Society. |
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