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Huntington Free Library and Reading Room

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243: 354:, are other examples of his work. The picturesque reading room is an excellent example of work dating from the latter part of Withers' career. When Collis Huntington took over the library in 1890, a local architect, William Henderson, added the rear part of the reading room and the two-story residence above it. Although larger than the original structure, its materials and design detail match those of the earlier building. Today the library is surrounded by a green iron fence. Large chestnut trees shade the area. The 1882-83 building, with the 1890 addition, was designated a New York City landmark in 1994. 251: 298:. Its origins, however, were in the will of Peter C. Van Schaick, a local philanthropist, who set aside funds from his estate to build a free reading room to be donated to the village of West Chester, (now the Bronx) upon its completion. The library, constructed between 1882 and 1883, was ultimately refused by the local townspeople who did not want to pay for its upkeep. The building sat vacant until Huntington was somehow informed of the stalemate and decided to take over the project. He put on an addition, and the library's doors opened to the public in 1891. 363: 22: 377:
Covering the fireplace is a large-scale map, Throggs Neck in the 1850s, drawn by Bronx historian, John McNamara. The original Visitors Register has its own stand and is in use today. The first signature dates to 1891, before the library officially opened.
305:, Collis's adopted son and benefactor of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, built an addition to the Huntington Free Library to house the museum's book collection, which was transferred to the library. In 1990, the museum became the 277:
The Reading Room has mostly early-20th century items. It includes a special collection of books and photographs on local Bronx history. Its general collection contains current newspapers, magazines, and reference books.
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is most obvious in the small book stack room in the rear. A wood sculpture of the library, carved by Patrolman John H. Jones in 1901, during his lunch breaks in the park across the street, sits on top of a bookshelf.
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The furniture in the library is in keeping with its turn-of-the-century character. Much of it is original. Although no longer in operation, three fireplaces grace the area. The piping for the reading room's original
374:, dedicating the building to his memory, greets visitors entering the Reading Room. An oil painting of Huntington, presented to the library by the citizens of West Chester in 1893, is over the fireplace. 132: 590: 39: 1090: 497: 314: 86: 58: 1065: 580: 775: 539: 65: 788: 544: 1080: 1075: 72: 680: 437: 733: 629: 54: 466: 620: 518: 490: 1007: 961: 664: 655: 306: 984: 904: 753: 595: 534: 483: 1085: 859: 79: 874: 763: 105: 864: 703: 1070: 770: 708: 43: 320: 1028: 748: 728: 723: 956: 909: 924: 914: 813: 698: 339: 335: 242: 1046: 838: 783: 403: 894: 818: 795: 291: 263: 929: 831: 826: 585: 371: 614: 575: 512: 310: 32: 989: 919: 869: 649: 331: 267: 979: 889: 570: 565: 379: 302: 287: 250: 8: 758: 713: 560: 899: 445: 317: 362: 634: 600: 410: 347: 343: 417: 407: 351: 743: 1059: 1023: 843: 738: 639: 475: 147: 134: 879: 395: 387: 274:, which is open to the public. It has a non-circulating book collection. 399: 271: 168: 234: 21: 295: 330:
Frederick C. Withers, an architect renowned for his use of
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are still in use. Other items of interest include vintage
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In 2004 the American Indian collection was transferred to
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The library took on an important new role in 1930, when
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magnate whose summer home was in nearby Throggs Neck,
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styles, designed the 1882-83 red brick building. The
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Fordham University (William D. Walsh Family Library)
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The library was not part of that arrangement. 1091:New York City Designated Landmarks in the Bronx 962:(NYPL:) Science, Industry, and Business Library 545:Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 505: 286:The library was officially founded in 1892 by 985:The New School: Adam and Sophie Gimbel Design 491: 420:were shot in the reading room in July, 2012. 467:Private Library Labors to be Relevant Again 498: 484: 442:The Huntington Free Library, 2012 schedule 382:registered as a visitor in 1892 and 1894. 357: 55:"Huntington Free Library and Reading Room" 734:Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library 325: 106:Learn how and when to remove this message 885:Huntington Free Library and Reading Room 361: 249: 241: 121:Huntington Free Library and Reading Room 1066:1892 establishments in New York (state) 187:Bronx History (and general collections) 1058: 1008:Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America 714:John Jay College (Lloyd Sealy Library) 469:By Winnie Hu, NY Times, August 7, 2012 307:National Museum of the American Indian 905:Metropolitan New York Library Council 479: 394:The large map case and the library's 957:(BPL:) Business & Career Library 262:is a privately endowed library near 44:adding citations to reliable sources 15: 1081:Library buildings completed in 1890 1076:Library buildings completed in 1883 754:Jewish Theological Seminary Library 665:Children's Library Discovery Center 13: 764:Rare Book & Manuscript Library 596:Stavros Niarchos Foundation Branch 179:Private Library open to the public 14: 1102: 776:The New School (Fogelman Library) 416:Scenes for the television series 235:http://huntingtonfreelibrary.org/ 865:Austrian Cultural Forum New York 20: 990:NYU/BCC: Gould Memorial Library 709:Bronx Community College Library 704:Baruch College (Newman Library) 540:Library for the Performing Arts 31:needs additional citations for 980:Columbia: Low Memorial Library 875:The Free Black Women's Library 460: 430: 1: 749:C.V. 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Retrieved 446:the original 441: 432: 415: 396:card catalog 393: 388:gas lighting 384: 376: 369: 366:Reading room 329: 300: 285: 276: 259: 257: 254:In the 1920s 136:40°50′23.5″N 102: 93: 83: 76: 69: 62: 50: 38:Please help 33:verification 30: 999:Museums and 805:Museums and 535:Main Branch 400:typewriters 192:Established 151: / 1060:Categories 424:References 202:1891-10-17 139:73°50′37″W 66:newspapers 1044:See also: 438:"History" 272:the Bronx 223:Employees 169:Bronx, NY 164:Location 96:May 2007 652:Library 617:Library 515:Library 408:Tiffany 282:History 266:in the 246:In 2017 231:Website 200: ( 80:scholar 943:Former 215:Budget 82:  75:  68:  61:  53:  674:Other 296:Bronx 290:, a 184:Scope 87:JSTOR 73:books 656:list 621:list 519:list 454:2012 346:and 334:and 258:The 176:Type 59:news 350:in 342:in 270:of 42:by 1062:: 440:. 413:. 322:. 309:, 658:) 654:( 623:) 619:( 521:) 517:( 499:e 492:t 485:v 456:. 204:) 109:) 103:( 98:) 94:( 84:· 77:· 70:· 63:· 36:.

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40°50′23.5″N 73°50′37″W / 40.839861°N 73.84361°W / 40.839861; -73.84361
Bronx, NY
http://huntingtonfreelibrary.org/


Westchester Square
New York City borough
the Bronx
Collis P. Huntington
Southern Pacific Railroad
Bronx
Archer M. Huntington
National Museum of the American Indian
Smithsonian Institution

Cornell University

Victorian High Gothic
Gothic Revival

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