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Hosmer Branch LibraryIndividual Landmark Thirty-Sixth Street Branch Library
Address: 347 East 36th Street Neighborhood: Central Construction Date: 1916 Contractor: James H. Brown and Co. Architect: Henry D. Whitefield Architectural Style: Tudor Revival Historic Use: Public - Library Branch Current Use: Public - Library Branch Date of Local Designation: 1997 Date of National Register Designation: 1990 Area(s) of Significance: Social History, Historic Personages, Architecture Period of Significance: 1916- 1949 Historic Profile: In the first quarter of the twentieth century, as rapidly growing immigrant populations flocked to Minneapolis, the Hosmer Branch of the Public Library provided an accommodating community and educational center for the new residents. At the time of its construction in 1916, the Hosmer Branch stood in a sparsely developed residential Scandinavian neighborhood. Only a block away from the new Central High School, Hosmer represented the expansion of municipal services toward the outskirts of the city. Hosmer Library Branch remains a lasting example of the legacy of head librarian Gratia Countryman. Countryman, who was responsible for the development of thirteen neighborhood branch libraries during her tenure, believed that a library should be, “More than just an intellectual warehouse; it should be a social force that would intervene in people’s lives to improve their welfare.” Aided by funding from the Carnegie Corporation, the Hosmer Branch has been a focal point of the neighborhood with its distinguished Tudor revival architecture. Photo Credits: 1920, courtesy of Minneapolis Public Libraries 2006, Minneapolis CPED Updated: February 2007 |
