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196:"The building was designed by Mr. George Keller, a noted architect of Hartford, Ct; is eighty-six by forty-five feet upon the ground, and two stories high ... The first floor contains a reception hall, a reading room, a conversation room, and the library room proper. This room, entered through the reception room, fills the height and breadth of the entire building, and is crowned with an imposing arch. As one enters the hall a fine bronze tablet upon the wall opposite meets the eye, with the inscription:
182:, a small second-story balcony, and five first-story windows with stained-glass upper panes that light the circulation desk. The original Spanish tile roof, the same color as the wall tiles, had been replaced with asphalt shingles for a short time. In 2016, a fundraising project was initiated to restore the original Spanish Tile roof. The project was completed in 2016. The half-turret's conical roof retains its Spanish tile.
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226:. The Great Hall is also a two-and-a-half-story, barrel-vaulted space surrounded by a gallery, but it is at a grander scale than the original building. It is used for meetings, lectures, concerts and art exhibitions. Tall white-washed arches connect the addition's spaces.
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The library is a private non-profit institution, and is operated by a board of trustees. The
Norfolk Library Associates, a non-profit volunteer organization formed in 1974, raises money for expanded library services such as lectures, book-signings and concerts.
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Isabella
Eldridge donated the building as a memorial to her parents. It was intended to be fireproof – hence, the use of tile shingles rather than wood ones – and serve as both a public library and a community meeting place.
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238:-roofed addition to the building's east side houses the Smith Children's Room. Architect Alec Frost was able to obtain matching stone from the same quarry as the original library and 1911 addition.
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With another donation from
Isabella Eldridge, Keller more than doubled the size of the building, turning its plan into that of a small cathedral. What would have been the
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ceiling. It is flanked by two-story, red-oak book stacks to the east and west. A second-story gallery with red-oak balustrade wraps around three sides of it.
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tile shingles. The street (south) facade is asymmetrical and features a single, great gable that continues down to join the porch roof, a two-story
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167:, is best remembered as an architect of war memorials. Although the datestone over the porch says "1888," the building opened on March 6, 1889.
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28:. The Norfolk Library is a private charitable organization, but the facility is open to the general public. Designed by architect
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These stained-glass windows and those in the Great Hall were manufactured by
Maitland, Armstrong & Company of New York City.
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became two-story stacks on the east side and a reading room with fireplace on the west side. In place of an
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architecture. The building is a contributing property in the
Norfolk Historic District.
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in 1888, and greatly expanded by Keller in 1911, it is an outstanding example of
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from
Connecticut Post. The sections beyond the first arch were added in 1911.
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Theron Wilmot
Crissey and Rev. Joseph Eldridge, "The Norfolk Library," in
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freestone. The second-story walls and third-story gables are faced with
424:(Everett, MA: Massachusetts Publishing Company, 1900), pp. 593–95.
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National
Register of Historic Places in Litchfield County, Connecticut
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The library room is a long two-and-a-half-story space with a wood
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Historic district contributing properties in
Connecticut
214:became a continuation of the library room, and the
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444:, "Enduring Perfection in Norfolk, Connecticut,"
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200:IN REVERENT MEMORY OF JOSEPH AND SARAH ELDRIDGE"
170:The building's first story is faced with red
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24:, is a library at 9 Greenwoods Road East in
547:Libraries in Litchfield County, Connecticut
415:(Hartford, CT: Stowe-Day Foundation, 1978).
264:NRHP Nomination, Norfolk Historic District
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527:Shingle Style architecture in Connecticut
462:from Historic Buildings of Connecticut.
326:Interior photo of stained glass windows
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517:Library buildings completed in 1889
337:Crissey & Eldridge, pp. 593-94.
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522:Public libraries in Connecticut
274:Crissey & Eldridge, p. 594.
347:Postcard showing 1911 addition
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422:History of Norfolk: 1744–1900
155:Library before 1911 addition.
39:United States historic place
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390:Norfolk Library Associates
399:from The Norfolk Library.
380:from The Norfolk Library.
316:from The Norfolk Library.
296:from The Norfolk Library.
192:A description from 1900:
172:Longmeadow, Massachusetts
126:Norfolk Historic District
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22:Eldridge Memorial Library
413:George Keller, Architect
112:Architectural style
532:George Keller buildings
437:Norfolk Library website
262:David F. Ransom, 1978,
85:9 Greenwoods Road East
496:Norfolk Public Library
460:Norfolk Public Library
454:Norfolk Public Library
328:from Connecticut Post.
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58:U.S. Historic district
485:41.98931°N 73.19898°W
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165:Hartford, Connecticut
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62:Contributing property
542:Norfolk, Connecticut
456:from Waymarking.com.
88:Norfolk, Connecticut
26:Norfolk, Connecticut
490:41.98931; -73.19898
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359:2010 interior photo
50:The Norfolk Library
395:2012-07-22 at the
376:2009-06-17 at the
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292:2011-01-29 at the
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411:David F. Ransom,
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180:half-turret
163:Keller, of
511:Categories
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475:73°11′56″W
472:41°59′22″N
442:Chad Floyd
406:References
349:from eBay.
176:fish-scale
130:ID79003749
242:Operation
236:pyramidal
216:transepts
102:Architect
393:Archived
374:Archived
310:Archived
290:Archived
212:crossing
82:Location
448:(2010).
147:History
122:Part of
97:1888–89
251:Notes
94:Built
224:axis
220:apse
16:The
371:PDF
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