Item Info

Historic Street Address: 2407-2417 South Broad Street
Media Type: Photographic Prints
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

 In 1914, the South Philadelphia Branch became the 16th branch of the Free Library to be built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. Designed by Charles Louis Borie, Jr., it is a brick and limestone building, in the Medieval Revival style, having one story at street level and a basement. This exterior view was taken in 1914.

In 1965, the branch relocated to a new building at Broad & Morris Streets, and the original building became the Ritner Children’s Library. In 1999, it was incorporated into an adjoining community center as a multi-purpose room.  As of 2010, this building has been part of the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School's east campus. 

[It should be noted that the library building at the new location, at Broad & Morris, was demolished in 2014; and in 2016, in partnership with CHOP, the City of Philadelphia, and the Free Library, a new building that combines health, recreational, and literacy services was opened on the same site, becoming the South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center, incorporating the new South Philadelphia Library branch.]

The South Philadelphia Branch serves the north central area of South Philadelphia.

Creation Year: 1914
Geocode Latitude: Geocode Longitude:-75.170246
Geocode Latitude:39.920224

Creator Name: Rau, William Herman, 1855-1920 - Photographer