Rosenberg Library

Rosenberg Library, a public library located at 2310 Sealy Street in Galveston, Texas, United States, is the oldest continuously operating library in Texas. It serves as headquarters of the Galveston County Library System and its librarian also functions as the Galveston County Librarian.[2]

Rosenberg Library
Rosenberg Library in 2016
Location2310 Sealy St.,
Galveston, Texas
Coordinates29°18′3″N 94°47′34″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1902 (1902)
ArchitectMultiple
Architectural styleSecond Renaissance Revival
WebsiteRosenberg Library
MPSCentral Business District MRACentral Business District MRA
NRHP reference No.84001722[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 14, 1984

History

The library was established in 1900, and the building constructed a few years later.[3] In 1905 it absorbed the collection of the defunct Public Library (est. in 1871 as the Galveston Free Library).[4][5][6]

Segregation
Central High School and the "Colored Branch of the Rosenberg Library"

Like many institutions in the American South, during segregation the library maintained a separate branch for African Americans. This new library, built in 1905, was added to the western wing of Central High School, the city's high school for African Americans.[3]

Galveston & Texas History Center

The Galveston and Texas History Center collects materials relating to Galveston and early Texas. Major manuscript collections include the papers of Samuel May Williams, Gail Borden, John Grant Tod, Jr., and James Morgan; the records of several 19th and early 20th century businesses, including those of I.H. Kempner, Harris Kempner, Henry M. Trueheart, and J. C. League; the records of several organizations and churches in the area; and 20th-century collections reflecting recent events and activities in Galveston and the upper Gulf Coast. The map collection includes maps and charts of Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and adjacent coasts dating from the 16th century to the present. Holdings of the museum department include historical artifacts pertaining to Galveston or early Texas, paintings of Galveston subjects or by such local artists as Julius Stockflethqv and Boyer Gonzalez, and a sizable collection of Russian and Greek icons. The rare book collection contains incunabula, first editions, and examples of fine printing.

The oldest free public library in continuous operation in Texas.
Statue of Henry Rosenberg at the Rosenberg Library

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. Fall 2007 Galveston County Library System Newsletter Archived 2008-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Henry Rosenberg, 1824-1893. Rosenberg Library. 1918.
  4. Charter and Revised Ordinances of the City of Galveston. 1875.
  5. Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  6. "Historical Sketches of Texas Libraries: Galveston", Handbook of Texas Libraries, Austin: Texas Library Association, 1904

Bibliography
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.