Larimer Memorial Library

Florida, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Find out more

Larimer Memorial Library, located at 216 Reid Street in Palatka, Florida, is a 1929 limestone structure designed by Henry John Klutho and commissioned by wealthy seasonal resident James Ross Mellon, who named it in honor of his wife Rachel Hughey Larimer. The building blends Prairie School and Art Deco styles, featuring a symmetrical façade inscribed with the phrases "Ignorance breeds crime" and "Knowledge is power" flanking its recessed portico with decorative iron filigree. Built at a cost of $100,000 and donated to the city in 1930 at a ceremony attended by thousands of dignitaries, the original single-story limestone library housed 50,000 books and periodicals alongside reading rooms, a children's room, and a magazine room. By 1992 it was converted into the Larimer Arts Center, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Today it serves as home to the River City Players community theater and affiliated arts organizations.