Thursday, October 1, 2026
Gov. Kathy Hochul approved the nomination for the Lynbrook Public Library’s inclusion on the state and national registers of historic places, making it the only location on Long Island to receive this nomination.
“It’s a beautiful building, and beautiful in its architecture,” library director Robyn Gilloon said. “We still live by the standard ideology set back in 1929.”
While architectural and technological advances have changed some of the library’s processes, the core mission stays the same: provide a community gathering space, and encourage literacy and learning.
The nomination, announced on March 21, is one of 20 locations selected for the honor this year.
The library, designed by architect Hugh Tallant and completed in 1929, was initially threatened with demolition in 1985 due to its small size—just 9,000 square feet, including the basement—which could no longer accommodate the growing community.
However, residents voted to save the library by a 61 percent majority, rejecting a proposal to build a new facility at the former Village Hall on Merrick Road.
In response to the community's efforts, the library board approved an extension in 1986. The 11,000-square-foot ground-floor addition, completed in 1992, was designed to complement the historical character of the original building.
Village administrator John Giordano said the historical significance of Hugh Tallant’s architecture inspired him and adult librarian Kathleen Curran to initiate the application process in 2020.
“It was a smart move on the Village back then to preserve the space and not move,” Giordano said.
In 1928, the Village Board hired Tallant to design the building as the community’s population grew with the expansion of the Long Island Rail Road. Tallant, alongside his partner Henry Beaumont Herts, was already a prominent architect, known for designing iconic New York City theaters such as the New Amsterdam Theatre and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The library features a formal entrance, large windows, and an expansive reading room, with intricate classical details. Exterior carvings of Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, adorn the building, emphasizing its role as a place of learning.
Curran highlighted the library's connection to the early 20th-century rise of women’s organizations, noting that many women's clubs, including suffragist and volunteer groups, were instrumental in establishing public libraries across the country.
Giordano noted the library needs improvements to its stone work, which could cost a few hundred thousand dollars.
“It’s very exciting because we could eventually receive grants for preserving the library,” he said.
The library is expected to learn in the coming months whether it will be officially added to the state and national registers of historic places.
“I think this nomination has shown what a jewel the library really is,” Gilloon said.
