The Orange Public Library is the free

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

in Orange, in Essex County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. Serving a population of about 33,000, the library collection contains 150,000 volumes and circulates 56,000 annually.

History

The library began in 1883 as association library, supported by dues, endowments and donations and opened its current main building, designed by McKim, Mead, and White, in 1901. Across its facade is engraved Stickler Memorial in honor of the son, who had died suddenly a year earlier, of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stickler, who donated the $100,000 cost of its construction. It was built during the "free library movement" at the turn of the 20th century. In a 1945 referendum the citizens approved support for a free public library, and took over the operations of the building as municipally operated facility. It was added to the state and

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

registers of historic places in 1981. In 2010 it was estimated that refurbishing the building, in need of repairs, would cost $1.5 million. Dennis Kowal Architects, historic preservation and library design specialists, developed Preservation Plans to restore the building and update the library services resulting in a Historic Trust Grant. In phase one, the rotunda was opened and phase two is under study.

References

{{authority control Library buildings completed in 1901 Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Neoclassical architecture in New Jersey Buildings and structures in Essex County, New Jersey Public libraries in New Jersey McKim, Mead & White buildings Orange, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places

History

See also

References