Lemon City Branch Library
🏢 Miami-Dade Public Library System — Miami, Florida
Lemon City Branch Library
Founded in 1894, Lemon City is the oldest library in the Miami-Dade Public Library System — born in a pioneer settler's cottage before Miami itself was incorporated.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Thursday | 9:30 AM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 9:30 AM – 6 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM – 6 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 430 NE 61st Street, Miami, FL 33137
Phone: (305) 757-0662
Website: mdpls.org
📖 About Lemon City Branch Library
The Lemon City Branch is the oldest library in the Miami-Dade Public Library System, established on April 7, 1894 — two years before the City of Miami was incorporated. It began as a reading room in Cornelia Keyes' cottage, opened by the Lemon City Library and Improvement Association for a settlement of only about 350 residents; Keyes, a Chicago native, owned the Lemon City Hotel and taught school. Early collections drew donations from notable figures who passed through the young community, including Andrew Carnegie, Field Columbian Museum curator Charles B. Cory, and railroad builder Henry Flagler. Thirteen women formed the Lemon City Library Association on February 4, 1902, raising $683.46 to open a dedicated wooden building at 412 NE 61st Street in 1905. The library joined the Miami Public Library system in 1942, and after a 1963 fire, a new building opened at 430 NE 61st Street on April 13, 1964. Today the branch serves its Little Haiti-area neighborhood with YOUmedia Miami arts and media programming, drive-up Wi-Fi, mobile printing, and service as an early-voting site during elections.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- Oldest library in the Miami-Dade Public Library System, founded April 7, 1894 — before Miami was a city
- Started in pioneer settler Cornelia Keyes' cottage, with early donations from Carnegie, Cory and Flagler
- Community-built: 13 women formed the Lemon City Library Association in 1902 and funded a 1905 building
- Home to YOUmedia Miami creative programming, drive-up Wi-Fi and an early-voting site
📱 Free with a Miami-Dade Public Library Card
Any Florida resident can get an MDPLS card free and unlock:
📍 More Miami-Dade Public Library System branches
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lemon City really the oldest library in Miami-Dade?
Yes. Founded on April 7, 1894, it is the oldest library in the Miami-Dade Public Library System — established two years before the City of Miami was incorporated, when Lemon City had only about 350 residents.
Where did the Lemon City library actually begin?
It opened as a reading room in the cottage of Cornelia Keyes, a Chicago native who owned the Lemon City Hotel and taught school. The Lemon City Library and Improvement Association ran it, and community women later raised funds for a dedicated building in 1905.
What programs does the Lemon City Branch offer today?
The branch hosts YOUmedia Miami arts and media workshops, offers drive-up Wi-Fi and mobile printing, and serves as an early-voting site during elections, in addition to its collection and public internet access.