Gould Memorial Library, under construction, ca. 1894.

Approaching the turn of the 20th century, New York University had reached the limits of its Greenwich Village campus. Seeking open space with room for grand architectural statements, the school acquired a hilltop site in the West Bronx from the Mali family.

The master plan was designed by Stanford White, whose Gould Memorial Library anchors the campus. The Gould Library makes eclectic reference to Classical structures, in particular the Roman Pantheon. White extended the Pantheon concept to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, an arcaded terrace at the rear of the library, featuring bronze busts of notable figures.

The library was completed in 1900, becoming the centerpiece of New York University’s West Bronx campus. In 1973, NYU left the University Heights site, selling its buildings to the City University of New York, which later renamed the campus Bronx Community College. Today, the Gould library requires significant structural repairs.