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St. Joseph Public Library - Downtown

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The interior features a staircase of Tennessee marble with an oak balustrade and ornamental ironwork. Heavy oak woodwork is embellished with classical moldings. Pilasters and columns are spaced throughout the interior. The stained glass was designed and created by Paul Wolff of the St. Joseph Art Glass Company and installed in early December of 1906. The terrazzo flooring is original to the building. It is composed of stone set in a base, sealed, and polished to a lustrous finish.


Building, Black-and-white, Interior design, Style

Road surface, Asphalt, Font, Concrete

 The building was finished in 1902 and cost $97,000.00 to complete.  The interior of the library features a staircase of Tennessee Marble with an oak balustrade and ornamental ironwork.  Heavy oak woodwork is embellished with classical moldings.  The interior features Tennessee Marble wainscoting and Ionic columns.  Protruding from the walls are pilasters, or engaged rectangular columns used for architectural support.  The Pilasters are composed of Scagliola, or plaster that imitates the look of decorative stone.  The stained glass window above the lobby was installed by the school district in 1907.  The floor of the library is Italian terrazzo.  The method, invented by Venetian marble workers in the 1500s for use in their own homes, uses chips of marble set in cement that are ground smooth and then sealed for a lustrous marble-like shine.