The Hunt Memorial Library, also known as the John M. Hunt Memorial Building, is a historic former

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

building at 6 Main Street in downtown Nashua,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

. Built in 1903, it is a significant early work of the renowned Gothic Revival architect

Ralph Adams Cram Ralph Adams Cram (December 16, 1863 – September 22, 1942) was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and Church (building), ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival style. Cram and ...

, then in partnership with Goodhue and Ferguson. The

Nashua Public Library The Nashua Public Library (NPL) is the public library of Nashua, New Hampshire. History of Nashua Public Library In 1867, the Nashua Public Library was established. It was located on the second floor of the County Records Building. The Unio ...

moved to a new building in 1971. The building is owned by the city and is available for rent for functions. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1971.

Description and history

The Hunt Memorial Building is located at the northern end of downtown Nashua, at the southeast corner of Main and Lowell Streets. It is a multi-level structure built of brick laid in Flemish bond, with limestone trim. Its three-story square tower is an imposing presence at the upper end of Main Street, with a staircase turret projecting from one corner. The tower has buttressed corners and large Gothic-arched windows, and houses a four-face clock in its upper level. It is topped by a crenellated parapet. The main entrance is located at the base of the tower, in a Gothic-arched opening with heavy oaken double doors with book-leaf panels. The building was constructed in 1903, and is an early work of architect

, then early in a distinguished career. Cram was a native of

, and was during his career a major proponent of renewed interest in Gothic Revival architecture. The Hunt Building includes good examples of the architectural vocabulary Cram developed for this role. It was used as a library until 1971.

References

{{Authority control Library buildings completed in 1903 Libraries in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire Gothic Revival architecture in New Hampshire Buildings and structures in Nashua, New Hampshire Education in Nashua, New Hampshire Historic district contributing properties in New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

Description and history

See also

References