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became recognized throughout the community, and in 1896 the city council enacted a 0.03% property tax for the library, raising approximately $ 575 per annum. Although the funds were sufficient to maintain the collection, the amount of work necessary to expand the library was prohibitive, the library experienced very little growth, and the founders soon realized that the library might not long survive once they were unable to continue supporting it. At this point came deliverance from an unexpected quarter.
297:, and following his death in December 1897, his bequest of a large sum to the library was announced. Furthermore, his other heirs agreed to spend additional money on the construction of a building for the library, even though such an action was not required by the will. The most curious provision in the will was the concept of establishing a county library — no one had previously entertained such an idea, which was generally believed impossible when it was first announced, but discussion in the county's
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as facilities for serving parts of the county outside Van Wert. Further expansion was needed by the 1990s, so an addition was constructed and the original interior renovated in 1991; this is the only substantial renovation in the library's history, aside from a 1917 project to place a children's section in the basement. Additional branches have been reopened in the villages of
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435:, qualifying both because of its architecture and because of its place in the area's history. Critical to its importance was its place as the core of the county library system: the Brumback was the first county library to be established anywhere in the United States. It was the second Van Wert County location to be added to the Register; only the
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service had been created to assist county schools. Seven years earlier, the original building's capacity had become strained as the collection reached sixty-two thousand books. In response, the library purchased the original
Brumback family home; eighteen thousand titles were moved there, as well
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at $ 3 per person throughout the city and sponsored public entertainment events to raise additional money. By the end of 1890, the ladies had purchased 600 books, chosen a librarian, and rented a room in which to keep the library; its use was originally limited to the subscribers. Their efforts
313:, the Van Wert Library Association, and Brumback's heirs: the library ladies were to give their books, the heirs were to arrange for the construction of a library building in a Van Wert city park, and the county was to enact a permanent property tax for the library's continued support. The
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Having decided that a public library would greatly benefit their community, a group of Van Wert ladies incorporated the Van Wert
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in 1829, John
Sanford Brumback settled in Van Wert in 1862 and eventually became one of the city's leading businessmen. As his health was failing in the late nineteenth century, Brumback decided to engage in
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The
Brumback library dedication ceremony took place on January 1, 1901, at the First Methodist Episcopal Church. The ceremony included a musical solo rendered by the baritone
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324:(who few years later would be known as one of the greatest baritone singers of all time). The library was officially opened to the public twenty-eight days later.
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arched windows pierce the gable and the towers, while larger rectangular windows are located on the first floor. Together, these components present a somewhat
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The County
Library: The Pioneer County Library (The Brumback Library of Van Wert County, Ohio) and the County Library Movement in the United States
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As the years passed, branches were closed; by 1968, locations outside of Van Wert had been restricted to nine pickup stations, although
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was laid on July 18, 1899; construction occupied the entirety of 1900. Financial support from the
Brumback estate surpassed $ 50,000.
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produced virtually unanimous support among the county's farmers, and the mass desire for such a library prompted the
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in the following April. Ownership of the library collection was transferred by a contract among the
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National
Register of Historic Places listings in Van Wert County, Ohio
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styles, although the components combine to project somewhat of a
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The original
Brumback Library building is constructed largely of
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Libraries on the
National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
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National
Register of Historic Places in Van Wert County, Ohio
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History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens
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George H. Marsh Homestead and the Marsh Foundation School
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roof. Among its most prominent components are a round
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In early 1979, the Brumback Library was listed on the
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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1393:Buildings and structures in Van Wert County, Ohio
567:, Brumback Library, 2014. Accessed 2014-01-02.
1423:Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Ohio
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1359:List of National Historic Landmarks in Ohio
1388:Buildings and structures completed in 1899
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399:wider than either tower. Small second-
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602:Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places
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1403:County library systems in Ohio
525:Van Wert Library Claims Record
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1383:Libraries established in 1890
1191:Cuyahoga Valley National Park
586:, 2007. Accessed 2014-01-02.
501:Gilliland, Thaddeus S., ed.
104:Show map of the United States
509:: Richmond and Arnold, 1906.
16:United States historic place
1378:1890 establishments in Ohio
1196:National Historic Landmarks
542:Brumback Antrim, Saida, ed
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1316:Van Wert County Courthouse
383:walls, and a multicolored
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213:NRHP reference
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1418:Public libraries in Ohio
421:Richardsonian Romanesque
199:Architectural style
169:1.7 acres (0.69 ha)
608:: Somerset, 1999, 1365.
584:Ohio Historical Society
1209:Keeper of the Register
600:Owen, Lorrie K., ed.
407:appearance: architect
329:collection development
305:to pass the necessary
150:40.870139°N 84.58500°W
1275:Van Wert County, Ohio
1229:Contributing property
474:National Park Service
311:county commissioners
307:enabling legislation
155:40.870139; -84.58500
52:Front of the library
1291:Bredeick-Lang House
1283:Historic properties
375:, with a sandstone
146: /
1311:Van Wert Bandstand
563:2016-08-06 at the
523:Braatz, George. "
417:Romanesque Revival
411:employed both the
207:Romanesque Revival
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303:state legislature
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117:215 W. Main St.,
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229:January 29, 1979
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476:. July 9, 2010.
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243:in the city of
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604:. Vol. 2.
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502:
467:
430:
427:Preservation
423:appearance.
370:
367:Architecture
349:Middle Point
337:
326:
319:
295:philanthropy
287:
278:
236:
234:
138:40°52′12.5″N
1179:Other lists
393:battlements
391:tower with
315:cornerstone
153: /
129:Coordinates
1372:Categories
1306:Round Barn
1150:Cincinnati
1093:Washington
1068:Tuscarawas
958:Montgomery
748:Columbiana
443:References
377:foundation
340:bookmobile
1352:See also:
1155:Cleveland
973:Muskingum
878:Jefferson
788:Fairfield
753:Coshocton
728:Champaign
693:Ashtabula
671:by county
530:The Blade
381:bluestone
373:sandstone
357:Willshire
353:Ohio City
189:Architect
141:84°35′6″W
1170:Sandusky
1160:Columbus
1103:Williams
1078:Van Wert
1063:Trumbull
1033:Sandusky
1023:Richland
998:Pickaway
988:Paulding
923:Mahoning
893:Lawrence
853:Highland
843:Harrison
828:Hamilton
823:Guernsey
798:Franklin
778:Delaware
773:Defiance
763:Cuyahoga
758:Crawford
738:Clermont
703:Auglaize
561:Archived
405:eclectic
389:corbeled
288:Born in
245:Van Wert
220:79001973
119:Van Wert
114:Location
1186:Bridges
1113:Wyandot
1008:Portage
918:Madison
898:Licking
873:Jackson
858:Hocking
833:Hancock
793:Fayette
743:Clinton
723:Carroll
708:Belmont
688:Ashland
507:Chicago
299:Granges
275:History
179: (
1165:Dayton
1088:Warren
1083:Vinton
1058:Summit
1048:Shelby
1043:Seneca
1038:Scioto
1018:Putnam
1013:Preble
983:Ottawa
968:Morrow
963:Morgan
953:Monroe
943:Mercer
933:Medina
928:Marion
908:Lorain
863:Holmes
838:Hardin
818:Greene
813:Geauga
808:Gallia
803:Fulton
718:Butler
698:Athens
359:, and
345:Convoy
269:county
1145:Akron
1098:Wayne
1073:Union
1053:Stark
993:Perry
978:Noble
948:Miami
938:Meigs
913:Lucas
903:Logan
868:Huron
848:Henry
768:Darke
733:Clark
713:Brown
683:Allen
678:Adams
669:Lists
401:story
397:gable
174:Built
1357:and
1108:Wood
1028:Ross
1003:Pike
888:Lake
883:Knox
783:Erie
662:Ohio
527:".
415:and
385:tile
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215:No.
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