Kensington Library
104 West Dauphin Street
Philadelphia, PA 19133-3701
(Hope & Dauphin Sts.)
Library is temporarily closed.
Upcoming Events
Minecraft Day
Mon, Jul 13, 3:00 P.M.
Kensington Library
Come join us for Minecraft Club, where up to eight players can play together on our very own Minecraft Realm! We will be hosting sessions on…
Virtual PAWS for Reading: Read to a Therapy Dog
Tue, Jul 14, 3:00 P.M.
Kensington Library
Join us on Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:00-4:00 p.m. to read to a therapy animal friend from PAWS for people on a live video conference. Reading to…
CANCELLED - Toddler Storytime
Wed, Jul 15, 10:30 A.M.
Kensington Library
Explore stories and activities that help prepare children for reading, school, and life! Children are encouraged to sing along and play in the…
Virtual PAWS for Reading: Read to a Therapy Dog
Thu, Jul 16, 3:00 P.M.
Kensington Library
Join us on Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:00-4:00 p.m. to read to a therapy animal friend from PAWS for people on a live video conference. Reading to…
Minecraft Day
Fri, Jul 17, 3:00 P.M.
Kensington Library
Come join us for Minecraft Club, where up to eight players can play together on our very own Minecraft Realm! We will be hosting sessions on…
Minecraft Day
Mon, Jul 20, 3:00 P.M.
Kensington Library
Come join us for Minecraft Club, where up to eight players can play together on our very own Minecraft Realm! We will be hosting sessions on…
About
Located near the York-Dauphin El station, the Kensington Branch serves Kensington, West Kensington, and Norris Square. Bienvenidos! Libros, videos, revistas y música en español.
NOTE: Our fax line is temporarily out of order. To get in touch with the branch, please call our regular phone line at 215-685-9996, send a message through our Facebook page, or email branch manager Sara Palmer: palmers at freelibrary dot org.
History
In the early 1700s, Anthony Palmer, an English businessman working in Barbados, purchased a large tract of land that he called Kensington after a suburb of London. Early residents were shipbuilders and fishermen, but by the 1830s Kensington had become the textile center of Philadelphia. In 1922, the Frankford elevated line began operation, passing through Kensington Avenue. The textile mills moved south by the end of the 1930s.
Kensington Branch was originally known as Frankford Avenue Branch, Branch Number 3 of the Free Library system. It opened on May 21, 1894 at 1856 Frankford Avenue. The name was changed to the Kensington Branch in 1900. In August 1902 it moved to an empty church building at 2055 East Dauphin Street where it remained for 51 years. In 1953, pending completion of plans for a new location, the agency moved to a small rented shop at 2508 North Front Street.
The current Kensington Branch opened on July 20, 1956. It was renovated in 1997 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which refurbished branches and brought Internet service to every library. When you visit, take a look at the mosaic in the meeting room. It was designed by Network Arts and created with the help of neighborhood children.