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1917 Community Hall & Library

Corner of Morgan at Clinton, McLean, IL
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In 1917 the Mt. Hope Township Community Hall at the corner of Morgan and Clinton streets replaced an earlier community hall that burned down. Originally known as the McLean Community Hall and Library the building was sold to the Mount Hope Township in 1939 after financially struggling through the Great Depression. The library remained in the building after the sale.

An auditorium/gymnasium space that included a stage and balcony occupied the remaining two thirds of the building. That allowed the local high school to avoid building their own gym until 1950. That space also served as a movie hall from time to time, something made possible by the small projection booth in the balcony. A dining hall and kitchen as well as the township office were located in the basement.

The Mount Hope-Funks Grove Townships Public Library which occupied the front of the building moved out in 2002. There were club rooms on the second floor above the library. The space formerly occupied by the library now houses the Mt. Hope Township History Museum.

The building cost about $17,000.00 to build.

GPS: 40.315199, -89.170017

The library was an afterthought, it was built right into the building.

The Prairie School style building was designed by architect Aaron Trabue (A.T.) Simmons of Bloomington, IL. Other than the high school building their own gymnasium/auditorium and the library having moved out the building still pretty much serves it's original purposes hosting a variety of social and community functions.

Photo(s): 2016