B.F. Jones Memorial Library
🏢 Beaver County Library System · Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
B.F. Jones Memorial Library
An Italian Renaissance jewel on the National Register of Historic Places, the B.F. Jones Memorial Library has anchored Franklin Avenue since 1929 — serving Aliquippa residents from Beaver County's steel-town heritage through today's digital age.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7:30pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7:30pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7:30pm |
| Thursday | 9am–5pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 663 Franklin Avenue, Aliquippa, PA 15001
Phone: (724) 375-2900
Website: beaverlibraries.org
Plus Code: 86GXJP7X+9G (Aliquippa, PA)
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📖 About B.F. Jones Memorial Library
The B.F. Jones Memorial Library opened on February 1, 1929, funded by Elisabeth McMasters (Jones) Horne as a memorial to her father, Benjamin Franklin Jones Sr. (1824–1903), co-founder of Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, whose bronze statue by sculptor Robert Aiken still greets visitors in the lobby atop a base of Vermont marble. Architect Brandon Smith designed the two-story Italian Renaissance Revival building in grey Indiana limestone with leaded glass windows by Pittsburgh's Hunt Studios, Kasota marble, and Italian Travertine — a structure recognized for architectural distinction when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Part of the nine-branch Beaver County Library System, the library serves patrons from the Aliquippa, Hopewell, Central Valley, and South Side school districts, offering everything from genealogy databases and digital eBooks to social-worker support services and a Library of Things. Open three evenings a week, it remains Aliquippa's primary free community gathering place nearly a century after its founding.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Architectural landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974 — one of western Pennsylvania's finest small-scale Italian Renaissance Revival public buildings
- Lobby bronze statue of namesake Benjamin Franklin Jones Sr. by noted sculptor Robert Aiken, mounted on Vermont marble — a rare work of monumental public art inside a public library
- Open until 7:30 pm Monday through Wednesday for after-work and after-school visits
- Library of Things collection, museum passes, and experience kits available for checkout alongside books and digital media
- Social worker on site providing wraparound community support services for patrons in need
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Aliquippa cardholders can read, stream, and research free through the Beaver County Library System's digital collections:
📚 Services
- Library card registration and account management
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Library of Things collection (unique items beyond books and media)
- Museum passes for local cultural institutions
- Genealogy and local-history research via Ancestry.com Library Edition (on-site)
- Social worker support services for patrons
- Accessible entrance (elevator available)
- AtoZ Databases for job search, business profiles & background searches
- Chat with a Librarian virtual reference service
🎸 Programs
- 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten literacy program
- Summer reading challenges for all ages
- StoryWalk programming
- Reading challenges year-round
- Teen Reading Lounge program groups
- Youth media-lab and podcast production projects
- Monthly board meetings (third Thursday, 5 pm — open to public)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Beaver County & Greater Pittsburgh
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Aliquippa · Browse all Pennsylvania libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was B.F. Jones, and why is the library named after him?
Benjamin Franklin Jones Sr. (1824–1903) was the co-founder of Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, one of America's largest steel producers and the industrial force that built Aliquippa as a company town in Beaver County. His daughter, Elisabeth McMasters (Jones) Horne, donated the funds to construct the library as a memorial to her father; it opened February 1, 1929. A life-size bronze statue of Jones by sculptor Robert Aiken, set on Vermont marble, still stands in the building's grand lobby.
Is the B.F. Jones Memorial Library a historic building?
Yes. The library was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 15, 1974, recognized for its architectural merit as a high-quality example of small-scale Italian Renaissance Revival design. Architect Brandon Smith used grey Indiana limestone, Kasota marble, Italian Travertine, and leaded-glass windows by Pittsburgh's Hunt Studios. The building's vaulted ceilings, mahogany-and-brass entrance doors, and original decorative plasterwork remain intact after nearly a century.
Which evenings is the library open late?
The B.F. Jones Memorial Library stays open until 7:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday — ideal for working adults and students. Thursday and Friday close at 5:00 pm, Saturday closes at 5:00 pm, and the library is closed on Sundays. Hours are subject to change on major holidays; check beaverlibraries.org/libraries/aliquippa for any updates.
What school districts does the B.F. Jones Memorial Library serve?
Although located in the City of Aliquippa, the library serves residents from four school districts: Aliquippa, Hopewell, Central Valley, and South Side. As a member of the Beaver County Library System, a single library card also gives access to the system's other branches across Beaver County and to Pennsylvania's statewide POWER Library research databases at no charge.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.