Save Old Nichols Library

The purpose of this petition is to prevent the demolition of the historic building located at 110 S. Washington Street, Naperville, IL (the former Nichols Library building).

This building is within the National Register of Historic Places district, established in 1977. In fact, all of Naperville’s downtown area falls into that category. Covenant restrictions were placed on the old library façade and Washington Street entrance foyer, in perpetuity, when the city of Naperville sold the building to a church in 1995.

In 1895 prominent Naperville businessman James L. Nichols bequeathed money to build a library for the town—ultimately known as Nichols Library. Nichols left $10,000 to the city "for the purpose of purchasing a suitable lot within the corporate limits of the city and erecting thereon a suitable library building, said building to be used for a public, free reading room and library by the inhabitants of the city." It was to be used for this purpose alone and if diverted to other purposes it was to revert to the estate. The bequest was contingent upon the city council's acceptance of these terms. The City council approved establishing a public library on May 7, 1897.

The architect was Mifflin Emlen (M. E.) Bell. He was the supervising architect for the U.S. Treasury Department and planned the courthouse at Wheaton, IL. He was a member of the Joint Commission to Complete the Washington Monument; his name is engraved on the north face of the monument's capstone. He also was in charge of federal buildings at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.