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Carnegie Libraries of the Five Boroughs

📚In 1901 after selling his corporation for $500 million, steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie announced a $5.2 million donation to the City of New York for the construction of public library buildings. With this gift, 67 branch libraries were constructed in the five boroughs between 1903 and 1929. 📚

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St. Gabriel's Park Branch, NYPL
St. Gabriel's Park Branch, NYPL icon

St. Gabriel's Park Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1908 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: demolished for the Queens Midtown Tunnel
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Riverside Branch, NYPL
Riverside Branch, NYPL icon

Riverside Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: Carrère & Hastings Today: replaced by a new branch in the same spot in 1969 and later moved to new building at 127 Amsterdam Avenue
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Hamilton Fish Branch, NYPL
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Hamilton Fish Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1909 Architect: Carrère & Hastings Today: razed during the widening of Houston Street in the 1950s and a new Hamilton Fish branch opened at 415 East Houston Street in 1960
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58th Street Branch, NYPL
58th Street Branch, NYPL icon

58th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1907 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: replaced in the same location with a new branch in the 1960s
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Yorkville Branch, NYPL
Yorkville Branch, NYPL icon

Yorkville Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1902 (❗the first NYC Carnegie Library) Architect: James Lord Brown Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Webster Branch, NYPL
Webster Branch, NYPL icon

Webster Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1906 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Washington Heights Branch, NYPL
Washington Heights Branch, NYPL icon

Washington Heights Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1914 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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West 40th Street Branch, NYPL
West 40th Street Branch, NYPL icon

West 40th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1913 Architect: Cook & Welch Today: stilling standing but now a part of Covenant House
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Tompkins Square Branch, NYPL
Tompkins Square Branch, NYPL icon

Tompkins Square Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1904 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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St. Agnes Branch, NYPL
St. Agnes Branch, NYPL icon

St. Agnes Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1906 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Seward Park Branch, NYPL
Seward Park Branch, NYPL icon

Seward Park Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1909 Architect: Babb, Cook & Welch Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Rivington Branch, NYPL
Rivington Branch, NYPL icon

Rivington Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still standing but no longer a library
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135th Street Branch, NYPL
135th Street Branch, NYPL icon

135th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still standing as a part of the much expanded Schomburg Collection for Research in Black Culture
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Muhlenberg Branch, NYPL
Muhlenberg Branch, NYPL icon

Muhlenberg Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1906 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Hudson Park Branch, NYPL
Hudson Park Branch, NYPL icon

Hudson Park Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1906 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch, with a 1920 addition by the same architects
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Hamilton Grange Branch, NYPL
Hamilton Grange Branch, NYPL icon

Hamilton Grange Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1907 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Harlem Branch, NYPL
Harlem Branch, NYPL icon

Harlem Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1909 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Fort Washington Branch, NYPL
Fort Washington Branch, NYPL icon

Fort Washington Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1914 (❗final Carnegie library in Manhattan) Architect: Babb, Cook & Welch Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Epiphany Branch, NYPL
Epiphany Branch, NYPL icon

Epiphany Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1907 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Columbus Branch, NYPL
Columbus Branch, NYPL icon

Columbus Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1909 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Chatham Square Branch, NYPL
Chatham Square Branch, NYPL icon

Chatham Square Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1903 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Aguilar Branch, NYPL
Aguilar Branch, NYPL icon

Aguilar Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1904 (renovations and expansion of an earlier library building by the same architects) Architect: Herts & Tallant Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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125th Street Branch, NYPL
125th Street Branch, NYPL icon

125th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1904 (originally called the Harlem Branch) Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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115th Street Branch, NYPL
115th Street Branch, NYPL icon

115th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1908 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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96th Street Branch, NYPL
96th Street Branch, NYPL icon

96th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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67th Street Branch, NYPL
67th Street Branch, NYPL icon

67th Street Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Tottenville Branch, NYPL
Tottenville Branch, NYPL icon

Tottenville Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1904 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch, with a 2013 7,000 square foot modern addition
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Stapleton Branch, NYPL
Stapleton Branch, NYPL icon

Stapleton Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1907 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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St. George Branch, NYPL
St. George Branch, NYPL icon

St. George Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1907 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch with a mid-century addition
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Port Richmond Branch, NYPL
Port Richmond Branch, NYPL icon

Port Richmond Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch with a WPA era addition
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Elmhurst Branch, Queens Library
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Elmhurst Branch, Queens Library

Opened: 1906 Architect: Lord & Hewlett Today: still functioning as a QPL branch
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Flushing Library
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Flushing Library

Opened: 1906 Architect: Lord & Hewlett Today: Demolished in the 1950s, replaced with a modern library, which was demolished in 1993 for a glass building designed by Polshek Partnership,
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Richmond Hill Library
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Richmond Hill Library

Opened: 1905 Architect: Tuthill & Higgins Today: still functioning as a QPL branch
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Astoria Library
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Astoria Library

Opened: 1904 Architect: Tuthill & Higgins Today: still functioning as a QPL branch, with new entrance following 1930s renovations
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Poppenhusen Library
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Poppenhusen Library

Opened: 1904 Architect: Heins & La Farge (the only Carnegie to be designed by the venerable firm) Today: still functioning as a QPL Branch
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High Bridge Branch, NYPL
High Bridge Branch, NYPL icon

High Bridge Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1908 Architect: Carrère and Hastings Today: demolished and replaced in 1975 on the same site, with the 1970s building undergoing recent renovations
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Morrisania Branch, NYPL
Morrisania Branch, NYPL icon

Morrisania Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1908 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Tremont Branch, NYPL
Tremont Branch, NYPL icon

Tremont Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: Carrère & Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch, with a 1916 addition
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Melrose Branch, NYPL
Melrose Branch, NYPL icon

Melrose Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1914 Architect: Carrère & Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch, though it had its top two stories removed in 1959
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Kingsbridge Branch, NYPL
Kingsbridge Branch, NYPL icon

Kingsbridge Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: library decommissioned in 1958 when a larger library opened on West 231st Street, this building is now a pre-school
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Hunts Point Branch, NYPL
Hunts Point Branch, NYPL icon

Hunts Point Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1929 (❗the last Carnegie built in NYC) Architect: Carrère & Hastings Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Fordham Branch, NYPL
Fordham Branch, NYPL icon

Fordham Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1923 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: the building is still standing though vacant after the Bronx Central Library moved to a new building in 2005
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Woodstock Branch, NYPL
Woodstock Branch, NYPL icon

Woodstock Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1914 Architect: McKim, Mead & White Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Mott Haven Branch, NYPL
Mott Haven Branch, NYPL icon

Mott Haven Branch, NYPL

Opened: 1905 Architect: Babb, Cook & Willard Today: still functioning as a NYPL branch
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Arlington Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Arlington Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Arlington Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1906 Architect: Walker & Morris Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Pacific Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Pacific Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Pacific Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1904 Architect: Raymond Almirall Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Bedford Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Bedford Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Bedford Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1905 Architect: Lord & Hewlett Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Eastern Parkway Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Eastern Parkway Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Eastern Parkway Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

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DeKalb Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
DeKalb Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

DeKalb Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1905 Architect: William Tubby Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Stone Avenue Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Stone Avenue Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Stone Avenue Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1914 (as the Brownsville Children's Library) Architect: William Tubby Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Brownsville Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Brownsville Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Brownsville Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1908 Architect: Lord & Hewlett Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Carroll Gardens (Park) Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Carroll Gardens (Park) Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Carroll Gardens (Park) Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1905 (as the Carroll Park Branch) Architect: William Tubby Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Park Slope Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Park Slope Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Park Slope Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1906 (as the Prospect Branch) Architect: Raymond Almirall Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Walt Whitman Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Walt Whitman Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Walt Whitman Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1908 (as the City Park Branch) Architect: Daus & Otto Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Washington Irving Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Washington Irving Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Washington Irving Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1923 Architect: Edward L. Tilton Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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Williamsburg Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
Williamsburg Branch, Brooklyn Public Library icon

Williamsburg Branch, Brooklyn Public Library

Opened: 1905 Architect: Richard A. Walker Today: still functioning as a BPL branch
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