Chidsey Library

Chidsey Library
Front of Chidsey Library
Alternative names	Chidsey Building
General information
Type	Government library
Architectural style	Mediterranean Revival[1] Art Moderne[2]
Address	701 North Tamiami Trail
Town or city	Sarasota, Florida
Country	United States
Coordinates	27°20′32″N 82°32′51″W
Named for	John and Ida Chidsey
Construction started	May 12, 1941 (1941-05-12)[1]
Inaugurated	November 13, 1941
Owner	Sarasota
Technical details
Floor count	2
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Thomas Reed Martin Frank C. Martin
Architecture firm	Martin Studio of Architecture
Chidsey Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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NRHP reference No.	11000241[2]
Added to NRHP	May 4, 2011

The Chidsey Library or Chidsey Building is a historic building located in Sarasota, Florida at 701 North Tamiami Trail. The building was home to the city's first public library from 1941 to 1976.

History

The library's Mediterranean Revival design was done by Martin Studio of Architecture consisting of Thomas Reed Martin and Frank C. Martin.^[2] The Chidsey Library opened in May 1941 as the Sarasota's first public library building.^[1] The building was dedicated to John and Ida Chidsey in November 1941 as they made the building possible by helping pay for the majority of the cost for the project, which was approximately $25,000,^[3] equivalent to $400,000 in 2023.^[4] The library held approximately 18,000 books in 1946.^[5]

In 1974, Sarasota County assumed responsibility for maintaining all public county libraries. The building was used as a library until 1976, when library operations moved to 1001 Boulevard of the Arts, and ultimately renamed Selby Library.^[1] Sarasota County Historical Resources moved into a portion of the vacated Chidsey Library building.^[5] The county's Historical Resources fully occupied the Chidsey Building in 1998, when library operations moved to their current location on 1st Street.

The Chidsey Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on May 4, 2011.

References

1. Shank, Ann A. "The Chidsey Library". Sarasota History Alive!. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
2. "National Register Information System – Chidsey Library (#11000241)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
3. "About the Chidsey Library Building". Friends of Sarasota County History Center, Inc. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
4. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
5. Salmond, Jessica (October 2, 2014). "Historical Commission strives to expand in historic library building". Sarasota Observer. Retrieved April 14, 2023.

External links

Media related to Chidsey Library at Wikimedia Commons