History

 

This beautiful building, with its white gingerbread and black iron trim, was the former home of Mary Ellen and Chalon Guard McCoy. Her father, Aaron Guard Cloud (1818-1893) had the house built by the Reid Brothers of Evansville, IN, in 1882-1884. He also owned the Cloud State Bank on the lot next to the house, built in 1880-1882 by the same contractors.

 

The McCoys had no children or close relatives, and when Mary Ellen, then a widow, died in 1921, she left the building and its contents to the City of McLeansboro for use as a public library. Mrs. McCoy also left an endowment fund of $5,000 for the operation and upkeep of the library.

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The second floor houses the museum. Rooms on the second floor have been used as city offices, professional offices, Chamber of Commerce, oil company offices, a photographer’s studio, and apartments. Rooms were used by the Red Cross as an emergency hospital after the tornado of 1925.

 

There are 9 fireplaces and 9 different kinds of wood throughout the library. It was also one of the 1st houses to have gas lights and running water.

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