State preservation panel OKs Hamline-Midway library for historic designation

A state historic review board handed preservationists a win Tuesday night, finding that St. Paul's Hamline Midway Library, built in 1930, is eligible for the National Historic Register.

The library's nomination for historic status will now be forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, and the National Park Service will make a listing decision within 45 days.

Preservationists are fighting the property owner, the city of St. Paul, which wants to demolish the building and replace it with a new, modern library. City leaders argue the building doesn't meet standards for preservation.

The State Historic Preservation Review Board was narrowly tasked with determining if the Henry Hale Memorial Library at 1558 Minnehaha Av. W. met the criteria for eligibility on the national register. On an 11-0 vote, the board determined the building's social history and education uses met that threshold. The board's decision aligned with staff's recommendation that the building met the criteria.

Board member John Stark spoke in favor of saving the building and possibly finding an adaptive reuse.

"Once it's gone, it's gone forever. I am fully in support of adding this to the national register," Stark said before the vote.

"I was a little taken aback by the argument that claimed the history of the library was not unique enough to warrant preservation," said Board Member Chris Schuelke. "Historical significance is not only embodied in the great architectural masterpieces but in more modest buildings like the library."

Board member and St. Paul resident Lindsey Dyer said adding the building to the National Historic Register does not restrict the city of St. Paul from making needed accessibility accommodations.

A historic designation would not prevent the city from tearing down the property but it would require the city to go through additional review processes before construction, potentially affecting the $8.1 million project's timeline and budget, according to St. Paul library officials. Construction is slated to start next spring.

The board received nearly 70 written comments about equally divided for and against preservation.

The one-story library with a raised basement is built in the Late Gothic Revival style, according to state preservation staff.

Barbara Bezat, a historic preservation researcher, wrote the library's nomination for historic status and fought to keep it moving through the process.

The library's significance "lies in its presence within two national trends of the time," according to the nomination.

"First is the participation by wealthy benefactors in providing financial assistance to communities by subsidizing the construction of public buildings. The second is the trend of women's clubs to expand their work from 'social' activities (book readings, lectures on art and history, etc.) into work within the public sector," according to the application.

The construction was supported from money bequeathed through the 1890 will of Henry Hale, a local attorney and property owner, according to the nomination.

Council Member Jane Prince, who represents the East Side, wrote a letter in support of preservation, calling the library branch a "historic treasure."

St. Paul Public Library Interim Director Barb Sporlein said library staff doesn't believe the building meets the criteria for inclusion on the National Registry.

Sporlein said building a new library is "the best solution to achieve current and future community library goals and needs including functionality, size, accessibility, sustainability, flexibility and responsible financial stewardship."

Adrien Logsdon of St. Paul said in her letter that she and her kids, ages 5 and 7, visit the library almost daily, and she supports building a modern facility.

"It is very clear to see that it is way too small with outdated facilities and ventilation. ... The current building offers no room for growth to match the growth and needs of the community," Logsdon wrote.