Richardsonian Romanesque: Given Library, Mt. Holly Springs, PA

Boston College.

Richardsonian Romanesque:

Amelia S. Givin Public Library in Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890. James T. Steen, architect (from Pittsburgh). Moses Ransom, woodwork.

All photographs and information courtesy Paul Tucker, Dillsburg, PA; photos copyright Paul Tucker. email: [email protected]

Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890
Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890
Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890
Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890
Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890	Givin Public Library Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890

Richardsonian Romanesque (1870-1895)

One of the finest examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque is the Amelia S. Givin Public Library in Mt. Holly Springs, PA., 1890. The architect was James T. Steen from Pittsburgh. The Givins Library was made from brownstone quarried locally. This library is distinguished by outstanding moorish fretwork woodwork done by Moses Ransom from Cleveland.

Steen was a prominent architect in Pittsburgh at this time and did several buildings downtown in the romanesque style. The old Western Pennsylvania University (now University of Pittsburgh) was designed by Steen. Both of Steen's sons also became
well known architects. (information courtesy Paul Tucker).

The brownstone was from the quarries of the Hummelstown Brownstone Company in Derry Township, Dauphin County, PA, which are approximately forty miles from Mt. Holly Springs. This quarry produced some of the highest quality brownstone at the turn of the century for buildings from New York State to Florida and as far west as St. Louis. The Givin Library is one such building. (information courtesy Ben Olena.)

This library is strongly influenced by the Richardsonian Romanesque style of the Crane Public Library in Quincy, MA, 1881.

The style was named for Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886). It is a revival style based on French and Spanish Romanesque precedents of the 11th century. (Romanesque preceded Gothic in European architecture.) Richardson's style is characterized by massive stone walls and dramatic semicircular arches, and a new dynamism of interior space. Continuity and unity are keynotes of Richardson's style. The Richardsonian Romanesque eclipsed both the IInd Empire Baroque and the High Victorian Gothic styles; the style had a powerful effect on such Chicago architects as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and influenced architects as far away as Scandinavia.

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