Built in 1904 (Neoclassical architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. 9 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1924.
From the record
“Wheeling they went to Zanesville, Lancaster and Franklinton, crossed the river at Columbus, thence to Worthington, where they remained a short time ; they finally reached Delaware Co., and located in Berkshire, making the first settlement in Berkshire Township ; here Edward Potter remained with his uncle, Col. Byxbe, untU 1805, when he returned to his home in New London) Conn., and thence to Saybrook, where he learned his trade as a hatter, and remained there some nine years ; thence to Colchester, Conn., and entered the hat business, where he remained three years ; during the war of 1812, Mr.”
History of Delaware County and Ohio. Containing a Brief History of the State of Ohio ... Biographical Sketches ... Etc (1880). Machine-read text.
One of 57 National Register listings published here for Delaware County · listed in 1983 · category: Building · built in 1904, Neoclassical architecture.
National Register reference number.83001957- 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.
Then and now
1924 to 1992
The ground this property stands on, surveyed
68 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are
United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
Leander J. Critchfield, the late Reporter of the Supreme Court of Ohio, was for a number of years a member of the Delaware bar. He was a native of Ohio, it is believed, and a gTaduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University at this place, in the year 1849. He became a law student of Judge Finch, and was admitted to the bar soon after, and then became the partner of Mr. Finch in the business of the profession. He was a successful practitioner at the Delaware bar until after his appointment, by the Judges of the Supreme Court of the State, to be their Reporter. His first volume of the reports, entitled "The Ohio State Reports," being the fifth volume of a new series, was published in 1858, commencing with the decisions of the court in the term of December, 1855. He continued to be Reporter of the Court until 1872, when he published the last volume of his reports, being the twenty-first volume of the new series. His duties as Reporter were ably and faithfully performed, and these reports j-emain as an honorable monument to his professional abilities and industry. In the mean time, he continued his practice in the courts at Delaware, as well as in all the courts at Columbus, where he established his residence soon after his appointment as Reporter, of the Supreme Court, and where he still continues the practice of his profession. He, therefore, at the present time, is more a representative of the Columbus bar than that of Delaware.
Henry J. Eaton is a member of the Delaware bar, and came of one of the oldest and most respectable families. He soon acquired the confidence of thft citizens as an honest and faithful lawyer, and in his profession gaining reputation ; when he became a partner of Mr. Reid, with whom he continued several years, and then retired from practice for a time, but has returned to it, and holds his position in the entire confidence of his fellowcitizens.
Regional context, not property-specific
evidence. Museums hold 2,711 specimens
collected within 10 miles of Delaware Public Library between 1850 and 1975: 2,545 Animalia, 100 Plantae, 61 Fungi, 2 Unrecorded, 2 Protozoa, 1 Chromista.
12 distinct Species records are shown.
Collected by A S BRADSHAW, A. P. Morgan, A. Spreitzer & K. Borror and others. Each is a
physical object with a catalogue
number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was
collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be
concluded from a species being absent.
Regional context, not property-specific
evidence. The National Weather Service names
Delaware, the town this property stands in, in 83 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 52 thunderstorm wind, 19 hail, 6 flood, 4 flash flood.
The reports record 1 injury. 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.
Trees and limbs were downed, at least one falling on a house. Outbuildings were damaged. A 36 year-old man had to be hospitalized after lightning hit the barn he was in as he sat in a metal chair.
As much as five inches of rain caused severe flooding in and around Delaware. 154 homes were damaged, many in subdivisions along State Route 257 northwest of Powell. 34 mobile homes in the Shroyers Mobile Home Park just north of Delaware sustained damage when the Olentangy River rose out of its banks, and forced a few evacuations. Numerous roads and bridges were damaged by high water and culvert washouts.
A weak tornado initially touched down just south of the Buckeye|Valley Middle School. The damage near the school was limited to|one tree with a limb down. The track continued north-northeast|into a residential area. In this residential area several 2 to 4|inch limbs were snapped and a few shallow-rooted trees were|uprooted. Roof damage was observed due to a fallen tree on Coover|Road and a barn had part of the roof cave in on its east side.||The tornado lifted until it crossed US-23 just west of Delaware|Dam. A small cluster of trees were twisted on the west side of the|highway.||The next location is Delaware State Park where the tornado was on|the ground for a few minutes. At Delaware State Park, a few|partially rotten large limbs were downed and numerous 2 to 3 inch|limbs were also downed. Also, several shallow rooted trees were|uprooted. A medium-sized dumpster near the marina was tipped and|moved about 20 feet. Three boats at the marina sustained minor|awning damage. A few 2 to 3 inch tree limbs around the marina were|snapped. Across the river from the marina, a snapped limb marked|the end of the tornado track.
A two to three foot diameter tree was reported down. Several tree limbs fell on cars. Railroad crossing arm guard equipment was damaged. These occurrences were due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
1 paper published in this town,
digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be
looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.
United States Geological Survey topographic
sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then
testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.
When this property was proposed for the
National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is,
and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain.
It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the
occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s
typewriter's.
Description of the property
recess and a pediment with modillion blocks and dentils further accentuate the entrance. The works "Carnegie Library - Free to All" are carved in the stone Ornamental ironwork decorates the fixed sash and the transom above the entrance. The side and rear elevations are quite simple in comparison with the facade. The interior is handsome and virtually unaltered. Carved Corinthian columns shingles. this elevation. Check one Condition fair excellent ruins Library Board.
one story wings.The recessed entrance has huge double doors with a transom The Delaware Public in 1905-06 is Neo-Classical Revival raised ashlar stone foundation with a contrasting stone watertable.The hipped The building is located on a landscaped lot immediately north of the county _ deteriorated _ unaltered in style. The relatively small building is constructed of yellow brick on a was origninally red tile but was replaced during the 1920's with composition also has a round arched entrance to the raised basement which is at grade on unexposed The monumental five bay facade features.a two story central pavilion with flanking Areas of Significance - Check and justify below _ archeology-historic . literature . sculpture X architecture .
social/ - music _theater -other (specify) Builder/Architect John Marriott and E.W. Hart Statement of
Statement of significance
(in one paragraph) tribute to the generosity of Andrew Carnegie which made this and numerous other libraries in the country possible during the early twentieth century. The Delaware Library was designed by John Marriott of Delaware and E. W. Hart in full by Andrew Carnegie. The monumental appearance, classical detailing harmonious blending of stone and brick and the interior woodwork are indicative in 1899 and 1902. to move or sell the building. 1600-1699 8.
Significance 1800-1899 1500-1599 economics commerce 1400-1499 transportation 1700-1799 education communications philosophy industry engineering conservation invention politics/government humanitarian Period agriculture exploration/settlement science law 1900- the furnishings are original and appeared in the Library Bureau catalogues Specific dates 1905-06 of the tastes and quality of craftmanship at the turn of the century.Many of -prehistoric military -art _ archeology-prehistoric community planning The Delaware Public Library is significant as an outstanding and well preserved - of Columbus.
It was completed in 1906 at a cost of $21,500 which was paid The Library is outgrowing its present space and would like to have the Acreage of nominated property less than 1 Quadrangle name Delaware Quadrangle Quadrangle scale 1:24000 UMT References List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries Nancy Recchie/ Asst. Regional Preservation Officer street & number 22 N. Front St. X local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the NationalHistoric Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89 665),I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated State Historic Preservation Officer signature I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register code county Easting 9.
Quoted from the National Register nomination
for reference 83001957, 11 pages, held by the National Archives in Record
Group 79. See the
catalogue record.
Listed places nearby
6 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.
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.
Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
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.
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