Aaron G. Cloud House

The Aaron G. Cloud House is a historic house in McLeansboro, Illinois, rather than a conventional commercial brand. Constructed in 1884 for Aaron G. Cloud, the founder of Cloud State Bank, the building is associated with the civic and architectural history of the community. It was designed by the Reid Brothers, an architectural firm based in Evansville, Indiana, and reflects the Eastlake style through its exterior ornamentation and detailed interior finishes. The red-brick residence is organized around a prominent central tower with a pyramidal roof above the front entrance. Other notable exterior features include a semicircular bay on the front facade and a porch extending across three bays. The house contains nine interior fireplaces, including four on the first floor with decorative wood and tile surrounds. These features contribute to its architectural significance and distinguish it from an ordinary late-nineteenth-century residence. The building's use changed substantially in 1922, when it began serving as the city's public library. It is now known as the McCoy Memorial Library, linking the historic property to an ongoing public-service function rather than to a consumer product or corporate enterprise. The conversion to library use is the principal documented institutional transition in the building's history. The Aaron G. Cloud House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1978. Its significance therefore rests on its historic association with Aaron G. Cloud, its architectural design, its Eastlake detailing, and its continuing role as a public library. Information about the building's current administration, ownership, operating budget, visitor numbers, and official website is not established in the supplied reference material.

The Aaron G. Cloud House was built in 1884 in McLeansboro, Illinois, for Aaron G. Cloud, who is identified with the founding of Cloud State Bank. The construction placed the residence within the period of late-nineteenth-century urban and civic development in the community. Its design was attributed to the Reid Brothers of Evansville, Indiana, an architectural firm responsible for a house that combines a substantial red-brick exterior with elaborate period detailing. Architecturally, the building is distinguished by a central entrance tower capped with a pyramidal roof. The front elevation also includes a semicircular bay and a porch spanning three bays. Eastlake-style ornamentation appears throughout the house, giving the residence a more decorative character than a purely functional domestic structure. Its interior contains nine fireplaces, with the four on the first floor featuring decorative wood and tile surrounds. These elements form an important part of the property's documented architectural character. A major change in the building's history occurred in 1922, when the residence began to be used as McLeansboro's public library. This institutional adaptation preserved the structure while giving it a continuing civic purpose. The building is now identified as the McCoy Memorial Library, and its present significance combines historic-house preservation with public access to library services. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1978. The designation formally recognized the house as a historic resource. The available reference material does not provide additional details about later restoration campaigns, changes in library administration, ownership arrangements, or the precise criteria supporting the National Register listing. It also does not establish a separate commercial brand operation associated with the house; the subject is best understood as a historic property and public institution rather than a market-facing brand.

• 1978

  National Register listing

  [1]Aaron G. Cloud Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The Aaron G. Cloud House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1978.

• 1922

  Conversion to library use

  [1]Aaron G. Cloud Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The building began serving as McLeansboro's public library, a role it continues under the name McCoy Memorial Library.

• 1884

  Construction of the house

  [1]Aaron G. Cloud Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The Aaron G. Cloud House was built in McLeansboro, Illinois, for Aaron G. Cloud, founder of Cloud State Bank. The design was attributed to the Reid Brothers of Evansville, Indiana.

A locally significant historic house and civic library building, valued for its late-nineteenth-century architecture, association with Aaron G. Cloud, and continued public-library use.

1. 1Aaron G. Cloud Houseen.wikipedia.org