Gilbert m Simmons Memorial Library #74000093 on the National Register of Historic Places. It designed by Daniel H. Burnham and built as a donation to the city by Z G Simmons. It was dedicated May 30, 1900 to the memory of his son Gilbert M. Simmons.
Back in the early Spring Rappy (my greyhound) and I went to Library Park to make pictures. You see Library Park is one of the locations on the National Register of Historic Places in Kenosha. The library the Gilbert M. Simmons Memorial Library was added back in 1974. The Library Park Historic District including the library, historic homes, and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church was added to the register in 1988. Library Park itself was added in 2000.
You can read about each home in more detail on this flyer by Kenosha Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. I’ll give just a small blurb in the comments on each photo. You can take a virtual tour of the interior of the library here at Kenosha Public Library website. Oh and hear a librarian tell of her encounters with ghosts in Simmons Library here on YouTube.
Now that I have information from the Kenosha History Center I see I missed some important homes and building in that historic district. I’ll go back some time soon and make it another post. Enjoy an sunny but cold early Spring day in the park.
I have a shameful secret to admit. I majored in history (my second time in college my first degree was a business one) yet when I lived in Charleston, South Carolina area (Mt. Pleasant to be more exact) I never went over to Ft Sumter. The very place that fired the first shot of the Civil War I never saw.
My 2nd great grandfather James Madison McCravey was a Confederate.
Heck the boats to it left from my island just a few blocks from where we had an apartment and I never went. **hangs head in shame** I went to the Yorktown and the ships there, I knew the historic district downtown like I knew my own palm, toured Fort Moultrie several times…but never made it to Sumter. I deeply regret letting that chance get away.
After photographing the Southport Beach House here in Kenosha and learning it is on the National Registry of Historic Places. I decided I would visit all the places on the National Register that I could here in Kenosha.
First step was to get a list of the places and that called for a visit to the website of the register . Ah-ha there are twenty-seven places in Kenosha county that are on the register. WOW! more than I thought. I look through the list and determine five of them I can’t visit. Four are restricted/location not disclosed as they are prehistoric fossil sites and they don’t want unauthorized digging there. These would be the Barnes Creek Site, Chesrow Site, Wehmhoff Mound, and Lucas Site. One is a sunken ship in Lake Michigan the USS Wisconsin an Iron Steamer. I won’t be visiting those that brings the number down to twenty-two.
I go over the list again. I can check off the Southport Beach house. I’ve done it. It started this whole evaluation process. Also the Kemper Center and Durkee Mansioncan be marked off as I did it on the Christmas tour last year. Though I hope to get a better look at the Kemper center inside.
Kemper Center in December 2011
So that leaves what? Twenty places to go. Some are private homes. That’ll mean just a shot of the exterior from the street. The Library Park, Library Park Historic District, and Gilbert M Simmons Memorial Library – did those just before I got sick. That’ll be going through the images doing a reshoot of things that didn’t turn out and writing a post.
The Gilbert M Simmons Memorial Library in Library Park in Kenosha. This area counts as 3 National Register of Historic Places Library Park itself is #00000733, Libaray Historic District #88002657, and the Simmons Library is #74000093.
That means I’m down to seventeen places. These are whittling away fast. Tomorrow Mike and I are going bowling. While out we can stop by and get another site photographed.
Wish me luck on this on-going project. I’m going to miss another historic place that’s near my home. There’s no reason for it. The good news is I’ll share the places I’ll see with you.
As always it’s great to hear from you! Feel free to comment, start, or share this post. You know how get me if you’d like to chat privately. Until next time!
Mary Louise Eklund 