Old Sherman Public Library

The Old Sherman Public Library was designed in a Classical Revival style by local architect John Tulloch in 1914 and is now arguably the major surviving example of this style in the city. It also represents Sherman's first permanent public library facility and is one of only 16 remaining public library structures of the original 33 that were erected in the state with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. Its classically inspired murals add to the library's significance.

The Old Sherman Public Library represents the culmination of the hard work and determination of the Sherman Shakespeare Club, which after several earlier failures established a free public library in Sherman with the help of a small amount of financial support from the city. In February of 1914, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie offered the city $20,000 for a permanent library building, on the condition that it agreed to support the library at 10% of this grant annually and provide an appropriate lot for the structure. The building, which was opened to the public in July of 1915, was designed by local architect John Tulloch and constructed by general contractor Jerry Wall, also of Sherman. Tulloch was the only architect practicing in Sherman at the time of the Carnegie gift.

Unfortunately, the majority of the Carnegie libraries in Texas have been demolished. The Sherman Public Library is somewhat later than the majority of the survivors and displays a more pristine classicism than is usually seen in comparable libraries such as those in Belton (N.R. 1985) and Cleburne (N.R. 1976). In Sherman, the extant Classical and Colonial Revival buildings generally tend to be somewhat earlier than others elsewhere, and are somewhat freer in their interpretation of the classical building mode. The academic classicism of the Sherman Library is entirely appropriate for a center of learning which has been a source of pride to the people of Sherman for over 70 years.

In its 57 years as a home for the Sherman Public Library, the Carnegie building also housed civic and educational groups. Both the Sherman Civic League and the Shakespeare Club held their meetings in the lecture room of the library. When the library was moved to its new building in 1973, the Old Carnegie building was declared surplus by the City and left to deteriorate. In 1975, however, it was seen that the structure still had a great deal of usefulness left, and a group was organized to convert the structure into a museum, presenting the project as a bicentennial gift to the city. After more than a year of dedicated effort by many interested Sherman citizens, the Sherman Historical Museum became a reality. Opening ceremonies were held on July 4, 1976, and in the next ten years, the museum displayed many exhibits of local and national interest. Generally speaking, the museum has given a new purpose to a building that has already contributed much to the architecture and history of Sherman.

John Tulloch, the architect of the library, was born in Scotland in 1860 and immigrated to the United States at age twenty-five, after obtaining an education in his homeland. He moved to Sherman two years after arriving in this country, living there until his death on April 3, 1947. During a career that extended over some 50 years, Tulloch designed many prominent homes in Sherman, as well as the Madden and Munson homes in Denison, Texas. He was also the architect of other public buildings and churches 10 located primarily in Grayson County.

A gift of art provided by a Federal Public Works of Art Grant was made to the Library in 1934. On May 2, Dallas artist Jimmie Swann (1905-1985) presented three Grecian murals to the library on behalf of the W.P.A. and himself. The three Greek allegorical figures, representing the muses of music, painting, and literature, each measure 3 by 7 feet. As a result of strict adherence to traditional Greek art forms, the colors in the murals are flat with no shading. Swann's choice of the Grecian figures was based on Sherman's long-held reputation as the "Athens of Texas," a name which bespeaks the many colleges and conservatories of the city. Although such artwork is found in many Texas post offices of the period, very few libraries today retain such murals. Swann was a native of West Texas and was a commercial artist educated at Sul Ross State College in Alpine.