Augustus N. Allen

Augustus N. Allen (1868 - 1958) was an architect known for designing buildings on Long Island and in New York City, as well as New Jersey. He also designed the office of American financier and railroad executive John W. Campbell at Grand Central Terminal, which was later converted into a bar called the Campbell Apartment.

Allen designed many grand estates on Long Island for wealthy families from New York. He also designed other buildings on the island, including a library.

The John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor was designed by Allen. It was built in 1910 by Mrs. Russell Sage in memory of her grandfather, Major John Jermain, and presented as a gift to the people of Sag Harbor. The property was bought at a cost of $10,000, and is directly across from Mrs. Sage's then summer home on Main Street. At that time, it was the highest price ever paid for a piece of real estate in Sag Harbor.

Allen designed the library in the Classical revival style. A pediment and four stone Doric columns adorn the front of the 50-foot (15 m) by 50-foot (15 m) brick structure, constructed at a cost of $70,000. The trim and base of the building are done in stone. The stone lintels of the windows are designed with the Greek key pattern. Other architectural details include wreaths, torches and egg and dart molding. In the interior, fluted stone columns, and lintels ornamented with medallions form the octagonal third floor reading room. Bronze torches light the entryways and vestibules. A winding marble staircase leads up to this room that is crowned by a brick, copper and stained glass dome rising 60 feet (18 m) above the ground. The dome, constructed by the R. Guastavino Company, is one of the more than 1,000 they built, including those at the library of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, and the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

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