Public library moves onto historical places consideration

The former Maryville Post Office, and now the Maryville Public Library are being considered by the National Parks Service to be put on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was approved by the Missouri Advisory Council on Historical Consideration to be moved onto to the parks service for further consideration. In 1962, the local library board of trustees took possession of the building located at 509 North Main, moving from their original location at West Second and North Buchanan.

The building went through an expansion and renovation funded by private donations and grant income in 1999, and was completed in 2001. The library now holds over 57,000 titles, as well as ebooks and audiobooks.

It was built with dressed limestone, featuring Tuscan columns and arched windows, along with traditional Greek and Roman design forms. All these aspects the parks service will study when coming to their conclusion, alongside the historical significance that the building holds. They should reply to the nomination in a little over 40 days.

Library Director Stephanie Patterson is excited that the application is moving forward.

“We began this process in October of 2021, and the staff at the Missouri State Historical Preservation Office have been remarkably helpful in tutoring us on meeting national standards in documenting the substance and history of this building,” Patterson said. “Ultimately our hope is that if grant funding becomes available to aid in preserving the structure and its aesthetic features, the library trustees would have the option of pursuing that.”