Tompkins Square Library

331 East 10th Street | East Village | built 1904

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The lot about 1940
About 1940. Via 1940s.nyc
The lot about 1985
About 1985. Via 80s.nyc

The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

  1. 1904

    December 1

    McKim, Mead & White's Carnegie-funded library opens on East 10th Street

    The Tompkins Square branch of the New York Public Library, funded by Andrew Carnegie and designed by McKim, Mead & White, opens on December 1, 1904. The three-story limestone building has arched openings on the first two floors, carved tympana, and a frieze of swags and shields. About 16,000 books are on its shelves at the opening.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  2. 1911

    Twenty-five copies each of two Dickens novels still can't meet demand

    The new branch is so popular that lines form down the block before it opens each morning. On October 21, 1911, The Sun reports that the shelves hold twenty-five copies each of Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Even so, it is almost impossible to keep either one on hand.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  3. 1979

    December 14

    The library marks its 75th anniversary with readings by neighborhood writers

    To mark the branch's 75th anniversary on December 14, 1979, the library stages readings by representatives of the ethnic groups that have lived in the neighborhood. Participants include authors Pietro di Donato and Yuri Kaprolov, poet and artist Fay Chiang, and playwright Tato Laviera.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  4. 1994

    The branch closes for a renovation that adds air conditioning and an elevator

    The library closes in 1994 for renovations that include removing lead paint. The work adds air conditioning, an elevator and access for people with disabilities, along with new furniture and equipment. New studios for local artists are built on the third floor.

    Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

  5. 1998

    May

    The city designates the library a New York City landmark

    The Landmarks Preservation Commission designates the Tompkins Square branch a New York City landmark in May 1998. It is one of the earliest branches commissioned by Andrew Carnegie, and its architects, McKim, Mead & White, designed thirteen Carnegie libraries in the city. The building also stands in the East 10th Street Historic District.

    Source: buildingblocks.villagepreservation.org

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