Madison S. Kline Mansion Modern Day Ridgway Public Library
By Bob Imhof
September 24, 2024
In honor of Ridgway’s Bicentennial, we continue our monthly series highlighting homes in Ridgway’s Historic Lily of The Valley Historic District in the words of local historian Bob Imhof.
Biography of Madison S. Kline Residence and the Present Day Ridgway Public Library
The mansion of Madison S. Kline is located at 329 Center Street, was built in 1905 and is of Colonial Revival design.
Mr. Kline was a local banker and sales manager for the Russell Car and Snowplow Company. Unfortunately, in 1910 Mr. Kline declared bankruptcy and he was forced to sell his magnificent home. The home was purchased by the Hall family, one of the most prominent families in Elk County. State Senator James Knox Polk Hall having served two terms in the United States Congress and was a Pennsylvania State Senator from 1903 to 1912. His wife, Kate Marie Hyde Hall, daughter of lumber magnate Joseph Smith Hyde convinced her son William Hall to purchase the mansion. When William Hall moved to Connecticut, Mrs. Hyde Hall as the President of the Village Improvement Association and later President of the Ridgway Public Library determined to purchase for $10,000 the mansion and turn it over to the community of Ridgway as the permanent library.
The VIA had rented a room in the home of Miss Eliza Brooke on South Broad Street as a temporary home for the library. Miss Brooke home stood on the site where the Trinity United Methodist Church built in 1903 now stands. This mansion became the official home of the Ridgway Public Library in 1922 and in typical Colonial Revival design, the mansion is flanked on two sides by enormous iconic columns that support what was the third-floor ballroom.
In recent years through generous donations from local foundations and individuals, the library has undergone amazing updates both visually and to the reading and research areas including the opening of the old third floor ballroom. The Conservatory Gardens recently completed in the area behind the library has added an amazing look to the mansion and provides a beautiful green space for relaxation and sessions of teaching the history of Ridgway and the forests that surround the “Lily of the Valley.”
In honor of Ridgway’s Bicentennial, we continue our monthly series highlighting homes in Ridgway’s Historic Lily of The Valley Historic District in the words of local historian Bob Imhof.
Biography of Madison S. Kline Residence and the Present Day Ridgway Public Library
The mansion of Madison S. Kline is located at 329 Center Street, was built in 1905 and is of Colonial Revival design.
Mr. Kline was a local banker and sales manager for the Russell Car and Snowplow Company. Unfortunately, in 1910 Mr. Kline declared bankruptcy and he was forced to sell his magnificent home. The home was purchased by the Hall family, one of the most prominent families in Elk County. State Senator James Knox Polk Hall having served two terms in the United States Congress and was a Pennsylvania State Senator from 1903 to 1912. His wife, Kate Marie Hyde Hall, daughter of lumber magnate Joseph Smith Hyde convinced her son William Hall to purchase the mansion. When William Hall moved to Connecticut, Mrs. Hyde Hall as the President of the Village Improvement Association and later President of the Ridgway Public Library determined to purchase for $10,000 the mansion and turn it over to the community of Ridgway as the permanent library.
The VIA had rented a room in the home of Miss Eliza Brooke on South Broad Street as a temporary home for the library. Miss Brooke home stood on the site where the Trinity United Methodist Church built in 1903 now stands. This mansion became the official home of the Ridgway Public Library in 1922 and in typical Colonial Revival design, the mansion is flanked on two sides by enormous iconic columns that support what was the third-floor ballroom.
In recent years through generous donations from local foundations and individuals, the library has undergone amazing updates both visually and to the reading and research areas including the opening of the old third floor ballroom. The Conservatory Gardens recently completed in the area behind the library has added an amazing look to the mansion and provides a beautiful green space for relaxation and sessions of teaching the history of Ridgway and the forests that surround the “Lily of the Valley.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
329 Center Street, Ridgway, Pennsylvania 15853 Email: [email protected] Phone: (814) 773-7573 Fax: (814) 776-1093 |
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LIBRARY HOURS
Monday - Wednesday: 10:00AM - 6:00PM Thursday - Saturday: 10:00AM - 5:00PM Closed Sundays and Holidays 
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