The Tremont Branch. Image Credit: LPC.
On March 5, 2024, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Tremont Branch of the New York Public Library. Located at 1866 Washington Avenue, the branch was built in 1905 and is one of the 67 branches funded by a grant from Andrew Carnegie.
The library was designed in the Classic Revival style by Carrère and Hastings. The building features a limestone trim and keystones in the ground floor arched windows. A bay was added in 1916 for the book circulation and children’s reading room. The library has served the community for almost 120 years and over the decades has offered community programming like language classes for immigrants and reading clubs for girls.
With the designation of this branch, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has protected all five of the remaining Carnegie branches in the Bronx. The others include the Morrisania Library, the Woodstock Library, and the Hunts Point Library which were all individually landmarked, and the Mott Haven Library, which is protected as part of the Mott Haven Historic District. The designation of the Tremont Branch was part of Landmarks’ borough-wide survey of the Bronx; other recent Bronx designations have included Joseph Rodman Drake Park and Enslaved People’s Burial Ground, the Bronx Opera House, and the Engine Company 88/Ladder Company 38 Firehouse.
Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll stated, “The New York Public Library’s Tremont branch is a classically-inspired Carnegie library, designed by the firm Carrère and Hastings in a distinctive architectural style to be recognizable to all New Yorkers at the turn of the century – a symbol of learning and opportunity that was open to all. Today’s designation is a tribute to this remarkable library, its dedicated staff, and the Tremont community, and reflects the Commission’s ongoing commitment to recognizing the rich history of the Bronx as told through the historic buildings and sites located across the borough.”
Anthony W. Marx, President of the New York Public Library, stated, “The New York Public Library’s Tremont branch has served the community for over a century, offering endless opportunities for New Yorkers to advocate for themselves and their education. As one of our original Carnegie libraries designed by Carrère and Hastings, the Tremont Library is a shining example of New York City’s past, present, and future. We thank the Landmarks Preservation Commission for designating this historic building a New York City landmark, which recognizes the vital and important role the library plays in the community.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)