Historic Structure Report: Calumet & Hecla Public Library, Keweenaw National Historical Park
Mundus Bishop and National Park Service. 2019. Historic Structure Report: Calumet & Hecla Public Library, Keweenaw National Historical Park. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
This Historic Structure Report (HSR) presents both a thorough documentation of the Calumet and Hecla Public Library and a vision for its future use. By identifying features that convey the historic significance and character of the building and site, evaluating the condition of those features, and recommending treatments, the report serves as guide for the preservation of the structure’s historic assets and a road map for its rehabilitation. The intent of the HSR is to document the physical evolution of the Calumet and Hecla Public Library, to describe the current conditions, and to recommend appropriate treatments. Documentation of historic significance and the evaluation of integrity provides the framework upon which treatment recommendations are based. All treatment recommendations follow the Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The present condition and condition assessment for each feature is documented in Part 1. Part 2 describes treatment recommendations for the preservation of these features and the rehabilitation of the structure. The Calumet and Hecla Public Library is part of the Calumet Historic District (period of significance: 1864-1930). It is an example of corporate paternalism, in which companies sought to maintain a healthy, stable, and loyal workforce through capital investment in cultural institutions. The library supplied materials in a variety of languages for the benefit of its diverse immigrant workforce. It closed in 1943. Rehabilitation is the recommended treatment for the Calumet and Hecla Public Library. The Department of the Interior defines rehabilitation as the act or process of making possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values. The rehabilitation treatment allows for altering a building to adapt to continuing or changing uses, including code and accessibility improvements and system upgrades. Such treatment aligns with the park’s vision for the future use of the building with the enhancement of its library and interpretive functions.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Mundus Bishop; National Park Service
- Date of Issue
- 2019-11-01
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- KEWE , MWR
- Keywords
- bathhouse, business, Calumet, Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, Calumet and Hecla Public Library, company town, Copper Mining, corporate paternalism, Hecla, immigration, Keweenaw History Center, labor, National Historic Landmark, public library, Shaw and Hunnewell
- Subjects
- CRIS-HS: 286093: Calumet & HeHSa Library