You are here

South Dakota » Marcus P. Beebe Memorial Library

Marcus P. Beebe Memorial Library

-A A +A
Ipswich Library
1930–1931, Allen E. Erickson. 120 Main St.
  • (Photograph by Michelle Dennis)
  • (Photograph by Michelle Dennis)

The Marcus P. Beebe Library is located in north-central South Dakota in the small town of Ipswich. The one-and-one-half-story Tudor Revival building sits on a raised basement and is constructed of uncut granite stone gathered from the surrounding prairie. Chicago architect Allen E. Erickson designed the building, and the stone walls were laid and pointed by P. A. Lundblom and Son; the remainder of the construction was completed under the supervision of local builder John D. Williams.

Tudor elements include a projecting entrance bay, offset slightly to the north, with a gable end adorned with half-timbering, a wide bargeboard, and a small pendant at the peak. The entrance features a double-leaf arched wood door with large wrought-iron hinges; it is flanked by small arched windows. Another prominent feature of the main facade is a shed dormer with five windows to the south of the entrance bay. A large exterior chimney with tall, twin chimney stacks set on the diagonal are north of the entrance bay. The rear elevation features two wall dormers with gabled roofs, each with three windows, and a slightly projecting bay, offset to the north, with a small doorway. Each of these gable ends, as well as the gable ends on the north and south of the building, have applied half-timbering.

The library’s main floor consists of one large, open room with a beamed ceiling and stairway and a lobby of Belgian, Italian, and Austrian marble, as well as a stone fireplace, oak woodwork, and seven-foot-high bookshelves. The original furniture, crafted by the Dakota Sash and Door Company of Aberdeen, South Dakota, is still extant.

The library was erected as a memorial to Marcus P. Beebe (1854–1914). A native New Yorker, Beebe arrived in the Dakota Territory in 1882 and later established the Bank of Ipswich. He was prominent Ipswich citizen and promoted several town improvements. His children contributed to his legacy with the construction of this public library, which continues to serve the Ipswich community today.

References

Hoyle, Larry, “Marcus P. Beebe Library,” Edmunds County, South Dakota. National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form, 1977. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

 

Writing Credits

Author: 
Michelle L. Dennis
×

Data

Timeline

  • 1930

    Built

Citation

Michelle L. Dennis, "Marcus P. Beebe Memorial Library", [Ipswich, South Dakota], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/SD-01-045-0036.

If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.

SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.

,