Aguilar Branch, New York Public Library
About This Listing
Place Details
- Borough: Manhattan
- Neighborhood: East Harlem
- Categories: Education, Institution
Place Matters Profile
The Aguilar Branch Library is one of the oldest branch libraries in New York, founded in 1886 and named for Grace Aguilar, a Sephardic Jewish author. In 1905, when it became part of The New York Public Library system, Aguilar Library served large Jewish and Italian immigrant populations. After World War II, an influx of Puerto Rican and other Spanish-speaking newcomers led to the creation of an extensive collection of materials in Spanish. Designed by architects Herts and Tallant, Aguilar Library was built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. The interior of the building features a graceful hanging gallery with a cast-iron railing and a pressed-glass floor.
Nominations
Gene Sklar (East Harlem Historical Organization)
This was the fourth branch of the Aguilar Free Library Society, founded in 1886 for new immigrants and named in honor of a Sephardic Jewish writer. This is the only one of the branches to retain the Aguilar name when they became part of the citywide library system in 1903.
