Advanced
South Philadelphia Branch

Item Info

Item No: pdcf00464
Title: South Philadelphia Branch
Additional Title: Construction site for the new South Philadelphia Branch building, 1963
Creation Date: 3/27/1963
Historic Street Address: 1700 South Broad Street
Media Type: Photographic Prints
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

 In 1914, the South Philadelphia Branch opened in an Andrew Carnegie-funded building at Broad and Ritner Streets. In 1965, the branch relocated, and the original building became the Ritner Children’s Library until 1999, when it was incorporated into an adjoining community center as a multi-purpose room.

This 1963 photograph is of the construction site for the new building, located at Broad & Morris Streets. The new South Philadelphia Branch opened in 1965.

In 2014, this building was demolished, 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 at Broad & Morris, 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. 


Geocode Latitude: Geocode Longitude:-75.169120
Geocode Latitude:39.929156