🏢 Houston Public Library — Houston, Texas

The Heights Neighborhood Library

A pink-stucco 1925 Renaissance Revival landmark that has anchored the Houston Heights along its grand esplanade for a century.

📖 About The Heights Neighborhood Library

Contrary to a common assumption, the Heights Neighborhood Library is not a Carnegie library; it was built in 1925 and dedicated on March 18, 1926, in a Second Italian Renaissance Revival style by architect J. M. Glover. Its distinctive pink stucco façade, arched doors, and arched windows have made it a cultural anchor on Heights Boulevard's landscaped esplanade. Library service in the Heights began earlier with the Baptist Temple Library, founded in 1909, and the community raised the funds that built this permanent home. Longtime head librarian Jimmie May Hicks, who served from 1931 to 1964, assembled a notable local collection of Houston Heights documents and photographs. A 1977–1980 expansion added roughly 3,000 square feet, and in 2002 the building was renovated for accessibility after residents rallied against its demolition. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and designated a City of Houston protected landmark in 2005.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• 1925 Italian Renaissance Revival building by architect J. M. Glover — not a Carnegie library
• Signature pink stucco façade with arched doors and windows on the Heights esplanade
• On the National Register of Historic Places since 1984; City protected landmark since 2005
• Holds a local-history collection of Heights documents and photographs

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