Chestnut Hill Library
LEAP Programs for the Month of June!
Monday afternoons, June 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th / 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Join the Speed Cubing Club! Whether you’re a seasoned speed cuber or just curious about solving the Rubik’s Cube, our club is the perfect place to improve your skills, learn new techniques, and meet fellow enthusiasts. We host weekly practice sessions and friendly competitions using a World Cubing Association (WCA) endorsed G5 timer. Come and be part of a vibrant community that shares your passion for puzzle-solving and challenges you to achieve your personal best. All skill levels are welcome!
Sunday, 6/30 | Closed |
Monday, 7/1 | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, 7/2 | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
Wednesday, 7/3 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Thursday, 7/4 |
Closed * |
Friday, 7/5 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Saturday, 7/6 | Closed |
- * Thursday had hour changes – Independence Day
Sunday | Closed |
Monday | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
Tuesday | 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Thursday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Saturday | Closed |
Upcoming Closures
- Thu., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
- Thu., Jul. 11 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
- Thu., Aug. 8 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
- Mon., Sep. 2 : Closed Labor Day
Services
- Book Drop
- Browse Shelves
- Computer Use
- Materials / Holds Pick Up
- Printing Services
- Reference Services
- Wi-Fi
Facilities
- Baby changing station
- Bicycle rack
- Book drop box
- Computers for public use
- Electrical outlets available
- Photocopier (black/white)
- Printing (black/white)
- Public restrooms
- Street parking (metered)
- Water fountain
- Wireless internet access (wi/fi)
Upcoming Events
Monday Matinee Mondays
Join us for a double feature of movies for teens. Today we will be showing Into the Spider-verse and Across the Spider-verse. For teens, from 12:00 - 5:00 p.m. We'll meet most…
Infant and Toddler Playgroup
Play, talk, explore books and toys while listening to music and gaining early social, emotional, fine and gross motor skills. For infants and toddlers along with their parents, grandparents or…
Family Pride Concert Featuring Ants on a Log
Ants on a Log plays music for children and other childlike people. Their award-winning music centers positivity, social justice, and silliness. Full of humor…
Monday Matinee Mondays
Join us for a movie for teens. Today we will be showing Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings. A meek Hobbit from the Shire, and eight companions set out on a journey to…
About
Located a half-block north of Bethlehem Pike in the middle of a lovely garden, the library is just beyond the end of the 23 route. facebook.com/FLPChestnutHill/
History
The first inhabitants of the Chestnut Hill area were the Delaware Indians. One of their leaders, Chief Tedyuscung, is immortalized in a statue in nearby Fairmount Park overlooking Wissahickon Creek. The Indians sold this section of their territory to William Penn on July 14, 1683.
The area's first white settlers were religious dissenters from Holland who were attracted to Penns Woods by the tolerance of its gentle leader. The name Chestnut Hill first appeared in a deed of 1711. Although there were no more Chestnut trees on the hill than anywhere else, the now almost extinct trees gave the town its name.
To serve the schools and the community, philanthropist Henry Williams built the Christian Hall Library in 1872 at 8711 Germantown Avenue. Williams named the library Christian Hall because he did not wish anything to go on in the two-story building and subsequent annex that would be inconsistent with the word "Christian." Singing, elocution classes, magic lantern shows, art lectures, church fairs and temperance meetings were permitted.
At first the library was only a reading room, and books were issued only to subscribers. But after 1876, Mr. Williams was persuaded to allow anyone to take books without charge. In 1897, the trustees of the Christian Hall Library decided that the library would be of greater benefit to the community as a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and so they granted the grounds to the city.
A new library building was built in 1907, funded by Andrew Carnegie and on the same site as the Christian Hall Library. In 1991, a modern meeting room addition was added. The library was renovated in 1999 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every branch. Active support is provided by the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library, founded in the 1970s.