Muhlenberg Library

February 19, 1906 - present

The Muhlenberg branch of The New York Public Library (NYPL) opened in Chelsea in 1906, as one of the sixty-five library branches built with a donation from Andrew Carnegie. The NYPL took over the Free Circulating Library in the neighborhood, and constructed a new building designed by notable architects Carèrre & Hastings. The site on West 23rd Street was chosen for its central, busy location, and for its proximity to another community institution, the YMCA. From 1906-1911, the Muhlenberg branch was the site of the first children’s book room until it moved to the main 5th Avenue building. Later, the children’s room reopened at Muhlenberg and was very popular with Chelsea families. In addition to lending books to readers of all ages, the library served as a venue for art classes and galleries, book clubs, and lectures. In the late1920s, it was also the meeting site for the School of the People’s Institute, a group that led discussions on philosophy, ethics, science, and literature in conjunction with the People’s Institute located at Cooper Union.

Muhlenberg Library, Exterior
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Details

Category
Library
Audience
All Ages
Corporate Body
The New York Public Library
Tags
community, extracurricular, library, recreation, philanthropy, renovation, AndrewCarnegie, architecture, arts

Connections

Location

  • 209 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011, USA
    1906 - present

Archival Collections

References

  1. “1,000 in City to Begin Study of Great Books.” New York Herald Tribune. September 28, 1947. http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/docview/1325077570?accountid=10226.
  2. “Anne Carroll Moore is Retiring 35 Years the Children’s Librarian.” New York Herald Tribune. August 24, 1941. http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/docview/1284433585?accountid=10226.
  3. “Art Exhibits to Open.” New York Times. September 17, 1939. http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/docview/102824253?accountid=10226.
  4. Dain, Phyllis. The New York Public Library: A History of its Founding and Early Years. New York: New York Public Library, 1972.
  5. New York Landmarks Preservation Commission. “New York Public Library, Muhlenberg Branch, 209-211 West 23rd Street, Manhattan: Built 1906 Carrère & Hastings, Architects”. New York: The Commission, 2001. http://www.neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org/db/bb_files/01-MUHLENBERG-LIBRARY.pdf.
  6. People’s Institute. The People’s Institute of New York Offers a Liberal Education for Adults: Program, First Series, November to February 1930-1931. New York, 1930. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015063872686.
  7. “People’s Institute Opens 33rd Year of Lectures.” New York Herald Tribune. November 9, 1930. http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/docview/1113736890?accountid=10226.