Willard Library, Victorian Gothic public library in Evansville, United States.
Willard Library is a public library in downtown Evansville, Indiana, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, housed in a 19th-century Gothic Revival building. The exterior features carved stonework and pointed arch windows, while the interior combines wooden shelving and reading rooms with computer stations.
Willard Carpenter, a local businessman, donated the land and funds to open the library in 1885, making it the first public library in Evansville. The building was constructed in the Gothic Revival style, which was common for civic buildings in the United States during that period.
The library is known locally for its genealogy collection, which draws people from across the region to trace their family roots in person. The reading rooms feel more like a community gathering place than a typical research facility, with regulars and first-time visitors working side by side.
The library is on First Avenue in downtown Evansville and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. Those planning to consult genealogical or archival materials should check with staff beforehand, as some items require careful handling.
A night janitor first reported seeing a female figure in the basement in 1937, near the old coal furnace, and the story has been told at the library ever since. The library now has live webcam feeds from the basement on its website, so visitors can look for the so-called Grey Lady from anywhere.
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