Park Hill Branch Library
🏢 Denver Public Library · Denver, Colorado
Park Hill Branch Library
One of the last Carnegie libraries built in the United States, Park Hill Branch has anchored Montview Boulevard since 1920 — a Denver Landmark where Spanish-tile rooflines and a century-old Robert Garrison fireplace relief meet the neighborhood that fought for integration a block from City Park.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 4705 Montview Blvd, Denver, CO 80207
Phone: (720) 865-0250
Website: denverlibrary.org
Plus Code: 85FQP3X9+42 (Denver, CO)
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📖 About Park Hill Branch Library
The Park Hill Branch Library opened in late 1920 as one of Denver's four Carnegie-funded branches, designed by brothers Merrill and Burnham Hoyt in an Italian Renaissance Revival style — built for $23,000 with a buff cement-over-brick exterior, hipped roof of gray-and-terracotta Spanish tiles, leaded glass windows, and a basement auditorium seating 165. A cast-stone plaque by sculptor Robert Garrison in the children's room fireplace depicts the Ancient Mariner and his albatross. Designated a Denver Landmark in 1989, the branch is widely cited as one of the last Carnegie public library buildings completed in the United States. The branch has served South Park Hill — a walkable, historically significant neighborhood east of City Park — through a 1964 remodel and a 1992/1994 restoration that preserved its landmark exterior while modernizing the interior. South Park Hill's post-WWII integration struggle, documented in DPL's own Special Collections, produced Rachel Noel's landmark 1968 school-desegregation resolution that reshaped Denver public education.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Carnegie-funded Italian Renaissance Revival building (1920) by brothers Merrill & Burnham Hoyt — designated a Denver Landmark in 1989 and widely cited as one of the last Carnegie libraries completed in the U.S.
- Children's room fireplace features a cast-stone relief sculpture by Denver artist Robert Garrison depicting the Ancient Mariner and his albatross
- Spanish-tile hipped roof, leaded glass windows, and buff brick-and-cement exterior — all preserved through 1964 remodel and 1992/1994 restoration
- Located in South Park Hill, whose post-WWII integration history — blockbusting, the Park Hill Action Committee (1960), and Rachel Noel's 1968 school-desegregation resolution — is documented in DPL Special Collections
- Baby Storytime and All Ages Storytime programs in the children's area; community meeting/study rooms available
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Every Denver Public Library card unlocks a full suite of free digital resources — ebooks, audiobooks, streaming films, language courses, and music — available 24/7.
📚 Services
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Copy, print, fax, and scan services
- Reservable community/meeting room
- Study rooms (no card required, up to 2 hours/day)
- Curbside hold pickup and outdoor book drop
- Free Narcan kits (harm-reduction health resource)
- Sensory toolkit and language support services
- ADA-accessible entrance with ramp (Dexter St. entrance), elevator, and button-operated doors
- Accessible parking (Montview Blvd.), bike parking, and outdoor seating
🎸 Programs
- Baby Storytime — stories, songs, and rhymes for ages 0–18 months and caregivers
- All Ages Storytime — stories, songs, and craft activity for children and caregivers
- Kids' Book Club and teen programming
- Branch events for all ages — see denverlibrary.org/events for current schedule
📍 Other Denver Public Library Branches
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Park Hill Branch Library building a historic landmark?
Yes. The Park Hill Branch Library was designated a Denver Landmark by the Landmark Preservation Commission in 1989. The 1920 Carnegie-funded building — designed by brothers Merrill and Burnham Hoyt in Italian Renaissance Revival style — is widely cited as one of the last of Andrew Carnegie's more than 1,700 U.S. public library grants. Its buff cement-over-brick exterior, Spanish-tile hipped roof, and leaded glass windows remain defining features of Montview Boulevard.
What is the connection between Park Hill Branch and the neighborhood's civil rights history?
The library opened in 1920 in what was then an all-white Park Hill subdivision governed by restrictive covenants. After World War II, middle-class African American families began integrating the neighborhood. The Park Hill Action Committee — formed in 1960 at nearby Montview Presbyterian Church — organized community efforts to achieve stable integration. Park Hill resident Rachel Noel, the first minority woman on the Denver School Board, put forward the 1968 Noel Resolution that led to court-ordered school desegregation across the city. DPL's Special Collections documents this history and houses the Burnham Hoyt Architectural Records.
Who sculpted the children's room fireplace decoration, and what does it depict?
Denver sculptor Robert Garrison created the cast-stone relief above the children's room fireplace when the branch opened in 1920. The plaque depicts the Ancient Mariner and his albatross — a reference to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' Garrison was a prolific Denver artist known for his decorative stonework on civic and commercial buildings throughout Colorado.
What digital resources can I access with a Denver Public Library card from Park Hill?
A Denver Public Library card unlocks Libby (ebooks and audiobooks via OverDrive), Kanopy (streaming films and documentaries), Freegal Music+ (streaming and weekly song downloads), Mango Languages (70+ languages), PressReader (newspapers in 60+ languages), the New York Times digital edition, Comics Plus, and more. Any Colorado resident can get a free permanent DPL card in person at the Park Hill Branch or register for an instant eCard at denverlibrary.org/library-card.
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