Oregon State Library - Salem, Oregon
Posted by: 
ddtfamily
N 44° 56.390 W 123° 01.842
10T E 497577 N 4976267
The Oregon State Library in Salem, Oregon
Waymark Code: WMFB4F
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 09/22/2012
Views: 1
"5. West of the state house plaza stands the STATE LIBRARY (open 8-5 Mon.-Fri.; 8-1 Sat.), NE. corner of N. Winter and Court Sts., a three-story building with basement and penthouse. The design is modern, to conform with that of the capitol. It is constructed of white Georgia marble, and was designed by Whitehouse and Church, Portland architects.At the top of a flight of broad steps are three entrance doors, above each of which a marble plaque depicts an event in Oregon history; they were carved by the Portland sculptor, Gabriel Lavare. In the main lobby of the building is a decorative medallion, also by Lavare.
The interior is of oak with Montana travertine marble trim, the main office and board room finished in knotty ponderosa pine. The principal features of the library are the stack and reference rooms, and the Oregon and Government rooms. The stack room, planned to accommodate the library's 400,000 volumes, is three stones in height and has a floor area of 42 by 136 feet. The reference room, of two stories, is paneled in oak, with several wood plaques carved by Lavare depicting Oregon historical scenes. The Oregon Room, separated from the main reference room by bronze and wrought-iron gates decorated with the different Oregon seals in bronze, contains a special collection of reference and historical works, books, documents, and pamphlets, concerning the state. The Government Room is for the special use of legislators and state department employees. Here are gathered all state governmental records, books, and other data." -Oregon: The End of the Trail, 1940
Dedicated in 1939, the Oregon State Library building continues to serve it's original function. The building underwent substantial renovation in the 1990s.