Sparkhill Library
{{Short description|Municipal building in Birmingham, West Midlands, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Sparkhill Library
| native_name =
| image = Sparkhill Library - geograph.org.uk - 2646761.jpg
| caption = The building in June 2011
| locmapin = West Midlands
| map_caption = Shown in West Midlands
| coordinates = {{coord|52.4504|-1.8642|type:landmark_region:GB |display=inline,title}}
| location = Stratford Road, Sparkhill
| area =
| built = 1902
| architect = Arthur Harrison
| architecture = Renaissance Revival style
| governing_body =
| website=
}}
Sparkhill Library, formerly Yardley Council House,{{Cite web|url=http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/2426/|title = Yardley Council House|publisher=E-papers Repository| access-date=18 March 2025 }} is a municipal building in Stratford Road in Sparkhill, West Midlands, England. The building, which previously served as the offices of Yardley Rural District Council, now operates as a public library administered by Birmingham City Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/article/sparkhilllibrary/sparkhilllibrary-openingtimes|publisher=Birmingham City Council|title=Sparkhill Library|access-date=3 June 2015|archive-date=8 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608042540/http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/article/sparkhilllibrary/sparkhilllibrary-openingtimes|url-status=dead}}
History
In the 19th century, Yardley was administered by a parish council. However, following implementation of the Local Government Act 1894, Yardley Rural District Council was formed in 1895.{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/56-57/73/contents |title=Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73)|publisher=Legislation.co.uk|access-date=18 March 2025}} The new council immediately decided to commission a council house (town hall) for the area. The site they selected was open land on the southwest side of Stratford Road.{{cite web|url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14.5&lat=52.4504&lon=-1.8642&layers=1&b=1&o=100&marker=52.4504,-1.8642|title=Ordnance Survey Map|year=1900| access-date=18 March 2025}} Construction of the new building started in 1900. It was designed by Arthur Harrison in the Renaissance Revival style, built in red brick with stone dressings at a cost of £16,000 ({{Inflation|UK|16000|1902|r=-2|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} and was officially opened on Wednesday 15 January 1902.{{cite news |author= |title=Yardley District Council. Opening of the New Council House |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000667/19020116/155/0008 |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |location=Jersey |date=16 January 1902 |access-date=16 April 2024 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}
The design involved a symmetrical main block of seven bays facing onto Stratford Road, with a dominant clock tower at the northern end. The central bay featured semi-circular bay windows on both floors and there was a lantern at roof level. The bays flanking the central bay were fenestrated by mullioned and tramsomed windows on both floors. The second bay from each end contained segmental headed doorways on the ground floor and mullioned and transomed windows on the first floor. The end bays contained bay windows on the ground floor and mullioned and transomed windows surmounted by panels sculpted by Benjamin Creswick on the first floor: the panels were flanked by turrets and there were gables above.{{cite web|url= https://billdargue.jimdofree.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-s/sparkhill/ |title=Sparkhill|publisher=Bill Dargue| access-date=18 March 2025}} The clock tower was equipped with an hour-striking clock, manufactured by Evans of Handsworth and donated by William Henry Barber.{{cite web |last1=Pickford |first1=Chris |title=Bells in and around Birmingham (Part 2) |url=https://stmartinsguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2020_09-Inventory-of-Birmingham-Bells-F-Y.pdf |website=St Martin's Guild |access-date=18 March 2025}}
The building continued to serve as the offices of the council until Yardley was annexed by Birmingham in April 1912.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10349163|title=Relationships and changes Yardley CP/AP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=18 March 2025}}{{cite web|url= https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50170/local_history/1663/south_yardley_local_history/4 |title=20th Century|publisher=Birminbgham City Council| access-date=18 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://aghs.jimdofree.com/transport-history/hardy-history/ |title=A transport history of Yardley|first= P. L. |last=Hardy|publisher=Acocks Green History Society| access-date=18 March 2025}} The building was subsequently converted into a public library with a children's section on the ground floor: it re-opened as such on 19 January 2023.
In 2014, after local councillors made a plea for the building to be offered for community use, it was saved from being placed on the open market.{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/u-turn-sparkhill-library-building-sale-8232915|work=Birmingham Post|title=U-turn on Sparkhill library building sale after backbench pressure|access-date=18 March 2025}}