Hinsdale Public Library
Our Building, An Architectural Treasure
One of the most striking features of our building is the ornate woodwork adorning the exterior. There are many different patterns employed. The Trustees are currently raising funds in order to repair and repaint the exterior.
This piece of gingerbread makes use of a decorative interwoven leaf pattern. Fortunately, we have a spare unpainted piece of this pattern in our attic. Hopefully when we repaint the exterior, we will be able to use two separate paint colours to better define the pattern. This section of gingerbread undoubtedly took hours of skilled artisanship in its design. There almost seems to be a Celtic echo coming through the knotted leaves of this piece.
A similar pattern may be observed just under the large windows facing Ozzy's Restaurant. Although physically more narrow than the aforementioned piece, this piece also placed a heavy demand on the craftsperson that scribed the delicate leaf pattern. Special care needs to be taken in carving a piece of this nature. When the wood between the desired pattern is taken away, it is imperative not to crack the remainder of the piece. As one takes away more and more wood, the likelihood of fracturing the piece climbs ever higher.
We have our own lions, just like New York Public Library. Our lions appear to be Norse. I can't prove this, and I haven't come across anything like these in my research. If someone out there knows what this detail is called, or can verify that it is or is not Norse, please contact me by email at hinsdale@cwmars.org.
Here is a closer look at our furry guardian. Witness the hand carved mane, each tiny hair defined with incredible detail. The teeth are individually carved as well. The carving seems to have been formed from a single piece of wood. I would need to climb up on scaffolding to check my hunch, though.
The vergeboard beneath the gable of the main library reading room is yet another pattern employed on our building.
Note also the quatrefoil gingerbread complimenting the half moon window about the Main Entrance to the library. As we will see, the quatrefoil is a running motif of our library. It is a definitively Gothic ornamentation.
To continue on our walkthrough, click here.
