Woburn (MA) Public Library and Henry Hobson Richardson

The Woburn Public Library in Woburn, MA is housed in one of the most architecturally distinctive buildings in the United States. It was designed by the noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886) for whom the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style is named. The building opened in 1879. The engraved card shown above is from my collection. Richardson designed six libraries during his career. Many libraries and hundreds of other buildings, built mostly in the 1880s and 1890s, reflect the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Judy Aulik's library postcard website shows many of the libraries designed in this style.