Olney Carnegie Library

Built in 1904 (Neoclassical architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

From the record

“The Olney Carnegie Library is a Carnegie library located at 401 E. Olney's library association was founded in 1882, but the city did not have its own library building until the Carnegie Library was constructed in 1904.”
Wikipedia article Olney Carnegie Library, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 4 National Register listings published here for Richland County · listed in 2002 · category: Building · built in 1904, Neoclassical architecture, by John W. Gaddis.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 401 E. Main St., Olney, 62450
When was it listed? February 2002
Category. building
Also known as. Illinois Carnegie Libraries MPS
Township. Olney township
When was it built? 1904
Architectural style. Neoclassical architecture
Architect. John W. Gaddis
National Register reference number. 02000037 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

6 since 2010

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Olney Carnegie Library in 2010, burning about 6 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	3
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2
Arson/incendiarism	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
6 April 2010	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	SLOAN
6 April 2010	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	BAUMAN
9 November 2010	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2.0 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	OLNEY2
13 November 2010	Arson/incendiarism	2.0 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	HERMAN
15 October 2010	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	OLNEY
11 October 2010	Debris and open burning	1.5 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	ARCHER

Every fire recorded in Richland County

Storms near this property

60 of 76 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Olney, the town this property stands in, in 76 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 47 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 5 flash flood, 5 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
May 2008	Lightning	Olney	$62,000	A lightning strike to a 60 foot tall brick chimney in downtown Olney resulted in damage to 16 autos and the roof of the building. Bricks were thrown as far as one block away. Three people were indirectly injured by falling bricks and debris. Ages and genders of the three people were not available. The three injuries were minor, and the people were treated and released at a local hospital.
July 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$60,000	Several trees and power lines were blown down across Olney.
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$50,000	A barn was blown over northwest of Olney.
May 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$50,000	Numerous tree limbs and powerlines were blown down across Olney.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$50,000	Numerous tree branches and power lines were blown down in Olney.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$50,000	Roofing material was blown off a garage onto Route 130. In addition, numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down around. One tree was blown onto a home and another tree was blown onto a garage.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$35,000	Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$30,000	Numerous trees were blown down in Olney.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$25,000	The metal roof was peeled off the grandstand at the Richland County Fairgrounds.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$25,000	Local law enforcement reported several trees blown down across Richland County.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$23,000	A large oak tree was snapped off at its base and landed on a house on East Street. Roofing from an old garage along Route 130 was blown onto the roadway.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$22,000	A large tree was blown down in a park in Olney. Numerous large trees and power lines were downed just west of town.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$20,000	Several large tree branches were blown down in Olney City Park.
June 2015	Tornado (EF0)	Olney	$20,000	A tornado touched down 2.3 miles north-northwest of Olney at 4:50 PM CDT. The tornado uprooted a few trees and knocked numerous 6 to 10-inch diameter tree branches down as it tracked northwestward through a mobile home park and a golf course off Route 130. It dissipated 2.8 miles north-northwest of Olney at 4:53 PM CDT.
January 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$20,000	Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the county.
October 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$20,000	Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down.
May 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$10,000	A pine tree was blown onto a house and another tree was blown across a driveway in Olney.
June 2015	Tornado (EF0)	Olney	$10,000	A tornado briefly touched down 1.4 miles northwest of Olney at 4:45 PM CDT. It caused minor damage to a retail store before dissipating at 4:46 PM CDT.
May 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$10,000	A severe thunderstorm moved across Richland county. As it moved into Olney winds blew down the roof over a hotel swimming pool and meeting room area. The debris from the roof damaged several vehicles in the hotel parking lot. As the storm moved to the northeast it blew down numerous trees and power lines. One mile south of Stringtown, a barn and a silo were destroyed. No injuries were reported and damage to the hotel was estimated around $10,000.
September 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$8,000	Power lines were blown down in Olney.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$5,000	A tree was blown down onto power lines causing a power outage across parts of Olney.
July 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$5,000	Several trees were blown down in Olney and the surrounding area.
January 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$2,000	Four power poles were blown down north of Olney. In addition, several small tree branches were knocked down around town.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$2,000	A tree was blown down 1 mile south of Olney.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$2,000	A tree was blown down across Silver Street in Olney.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	$2,000	A large tree was blown down across Highway 130.
April 1994	Hail	Olney	$50	no account filed
July 1994	Hail	Olney	$50	no account filed
March 2026	Tornado (EF0)	Olney	-	The tornado began just west of Olney and was sighted at the intersection of west Main Street and west Elms Street. The tornado proceeded through town, causing areas of tree and fencing damage. The tornado dissipated on the east side of town. It was rated EF-0, with a path length of just over two miles and a duration of two minutes.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several large tree limbs were blown down.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	A tree was blown down near the intersection of East IL-250 and West North Avenue on the west side of Olney.
August 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Numerous tree branches were blown down across Olney.
August 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	A large tree was blown down on North East Street a few yards from Carle Richland Memorial Hospital.
October 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Numerous trees and large tree branches were blown down across Olney, including some that fell onto houses and cars. One falling tree clipped part of the roof and brick facade of an apartment complex on Main Street.
July 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	A tree was snapped in Olney.
April 2016	Tornado (EF0)	Olney	-	A tornado briefly touched down in an open field about 1.7 miles north of Olney at 7:47 PM CDT. No damage occurred.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several trees were blown down onto Holly Road just southeast of Olney.
May 2008	Tornado (EF0)	Olney	-	A landspout tornado briefly touched down in a field. No damage was reported.
May 2008	Flash Flood	Olney	-	Heavy rains caused many roads to flood to the south and east of Olney.
August 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Power lines were blown down.
April 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Trees and power lines down.
April 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Trees and power lines down.
May 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Few trees blown down.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several trees were blown down in Olney.
September 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Numerous tree limbs and several trees were blown down around town. No injuries were reported.
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines and trees. One tree fell down on a house causing minor damage.
May 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several large trees were blown down around town. Some homes sustained minor damage from the fallen trees.
May 2002	Flash Flood	Olney	-	Numerous streets in town were flooded for around half an hour due to heavy rains. One street had a section collapse that was over a 48 inch drainage pipe. Also, several basements were flooded and one Olney Central College building suffered water damage from the flooding.
June 2001	Flash Flood	Olney	-	The Fox River went out of its banks during the event, roughly 1 mile north of Olney, resulting in water across portions of Illinois Route 130.
October 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Also, a couple of grain bins were blown over in Calhoun.
August 2000	Flash Flood	Olney	-	Severe thunderstorms across the county dropped heavy rainfall onto already saturated ground. Radar estimates indicated 3 to 4 inches of rain fell during the evening hours. As a result, numerous roads in the Olney area were reported underwater and impassable through the evening. No injuries were reported and no damage estimates were available.
August 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several power lines and a large tree were blown down in Olney.
February 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Several large trees were blown down in Olney. One mile north of Parkersburg, a trailer home sustained minor damage and a shed was destroyed.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines 1 mile west of Olney.
November 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Thunderstorm winds blew off part of the roof of the old railroad depot in Olney. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down throughout the county. Also, the city park building in Olney sustained minor roof damage when a 40 foot tall tree fell onto it. No damage estimate was available.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Thunderstorms blew down several trees, tree limbs, and power lines in Olney. No injuries were reported and no damage estimate was available.
April 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Olney	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees in Olney. Two trees fell onto cars, causing damage but no injuries. Also, numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down. No damage estimate was available.
July 2024	Hail	Olney	-	no account filed
July 2024	Hail	Olney	-	no account filed
March 2023	Hail	Olney	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Richland County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

3 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Ambrose Hopkinson House	0.3 miles	2001
Elliott Street Historic District	0.3 miles	1980
Larchmound	0.8 miles	1980

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 02000037 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Richland County	All 4 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.