of ▁Re id ▁& ▁Re id ). ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Will ard ▁Car p enter , ▁Evans ville ' s ▁" p ione er ▁of ▁public ▁char ity ," ▁built ▁and ▁end owed ▁Will ard ▁Library . ▁He ▁established ▁a ▁trust ▁fund ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁about ▁which ▁he ▁wrote : ▁ ▁" I ▁have ▁concluded ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁to ▁establish ▁and ▁end ow ▁a ▁public ▁library , ▁to ▁be ▁located ▁in ▁a ▁public ▁park , ▁on ▁land ▁owned ▁by ▁me , ▁situated ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Evans ville . ▁I ▁am ▁induced ▁to ▁do ▁this ▁in ▁well - ground ed ▁hope ▁that ▁such ▁an ▁institution ▁may ▁become ▁useful ▁toward ▁the ▁improvement ▁of ▁the ▁moral ▁and ▁intellectual ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁Evans ville ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁and ▁also ▁toward ▁the ▁en larg ement ▁and ▁diffusion ▁of ▁a ▁taste ▁for ▁the ▁fine ▁arts ." ▁ ▁An ▁agent ▁for ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road ▁before ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Mr . ▁Car p enter ▁incorpor ated ▁his ▁concern ▁for ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁into ▁his ▁requirement ▁that ▁the ▁library ▁" be ▁maintained ▁for ▁the ▁free ▁use ▁of ▁all ▁persons ▁who ▁may ▁desire ▁to ▁consult ▁it ." ▁This ▁definition ▁of ▁a ▁" public " ▁library ▁was ▁a ▁d aring ▁social ▁experiment ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁library ▁was ▁named ▁" Will ard ▁Library " ▁rather ▁than