The New York Public Library Epiphany Branch

USA / New Jersey / West New York / East 23rd Street, 228

3-story Renaissance-revival library completed in 1907. Designed by Carrère and Hastings, who also designed the main library on Fifth Avenue, it was built for the Epiphany Branch, formerly a part of the old Cathedral library system, which was consolidated with the New York Public Library in 1905.

The facade is clad in limestone, with four main bays. At the ground floor they are round-arched, with tripartite windows and keystones. Between the keystones runs a stone band with a row of circles. The 2nd floor has tall, narrow triple-windows with bracketed, ornamented cornices. The 3rd floor has double-windows with full surrounds, directly above which is printed NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY. The facade is crowned by a stone roof cornice with dentils and an egg-and-dart course.

The building was closed in 1982, and a restoration/renovation was completed in 1984. It it, the former entrance in the western bay was converted to a window to match the others, and the entrance was moved to a glass enclosed atrium on the west end, with metal-framed glass double-doors. The sloping glass roof of the narrow atrium creates a gap between the original building and an additional narrow, brick-clad section at the far west end.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°44'17"N   73°58'55"W
This article was last modified 11 months ago