Gainsboro Branch of the Roanoke City Public Library | |
 Gainsboro Branch of the Roanoke City Public Library, June 2010 | |
   | |
| Location | 15 Patton Ave., NW, Roanoke, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°16′38″N 79°56′28″W / 37.27722°N 79.94111°W |
| Area | 0.2 acres (0.08 ha) |
| Built | 1941-1942 |
| Architect | Eubank & Caldwell |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001448[1] |
| VLR No. | 128-0256 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 2, 1996 |
| Designated VLR | September 18, 1996[2] |
The Gainsboro Branch Library is a historic library building located in the Gainsboro neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It was built in 1941–1942 and is a one-story, seven-bay brick building built with an L-plan and gabled roof, and designed in the Tudor Revival style. The library's history dates to 1921 as the fourth library for African Americans in the Southern United States. It is home to a significant black history collection that was gradually amassed by longtime librarian Virginia Lee. After being told by city officials to remove the items, Lee moved them into request-only storage. The collection is now on display in a room dedicated for and named after Lee, and the library has seen recognition for its role in preserving the area's African American heritage.
The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, and was made part of the Gainsboro Historic District in 2005.[1] It underwent significant renovations in 2009 and 2020.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ John R. Kern and Leslie A. Giles (July 1996). "National Register of Historic Places: Gainsboro Library". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.