Countee Cullen Library
🏢 New York Public Library · new-york, New York
Countee Cullen Library
Named in 1951 for Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen — the first NYPL branch honored for an African American — this library stands on the site of A'Lelia Walker's storied townhouse at 104 West 136th Street and pairs deep cultural roots with a newly expanded Teen Center stocked with 3-D printers, cameras and video-editing suites.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 11am–7pm |
| Thursday | 11am–7pm |
| Friday | 11am–5pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 104 West 136th Street, new-york, NY 10030
Phone: (212) 491-2070
Website: nypl.org
Plus Code: 87G8R375+WG (new-york, NY)
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📖 About Countee Cullen Library
The Countee Cullen Library traces its origins to January 14, 1905, when the New York Public Library opened the 135th Street Branch — designed by the celebrated firm McKim, Mead and White and funded by Andrew Carnegie — just steps away in Harlem. In 1941 the branch relocated to its present home at 104 West 136th Street, a building designed by architect Louis Allen Abramson on the very site where entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker's daughter A'Lelia Walker had hosted Harlem Renaissance salons; her 1927 "Dark Tower" gatherings drew writers, artists and intellectuals from across the movement. A decade later, in September 1951, the branch was renamed for Countee Cullen (1903–1946) — poet, teacher and Harlem neighbor — becoming the first facility in the entire NYPL system, and among the first public buildings in New York City, named in honor of an African American. Today the library serves Harlem residents of all ages through its Children's Room with the James Weldon Johnson Reference Collection, a fully equipped Teen Center, and a rich African American & Black Culture reference collection.
⭐ What makes this library special
- First NYPL branch named for an African American, honoring Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen (renamed September 1951)
- Stands on the historic site of A'Lelia Walker's townhouse, whose "Dark Tower" salon was a gathering place for Harlem Renaissance artists and writers in the 1920s
- Newly expanded Teen Center with 3-D printers, 3-D pens, cameras, tripods, lighting kits, video-editing software, gaming consoles, iPads and silkscreen printing
- James Weldon Johnson Reference Collection for children, located in the second-floor Children's Room — a curated resource on the African American experience for young readers
- African American & Black Culture reference collection alongside college catalogs, financial-aid guides and free public computers and Wi-Fi
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Countee Cullen cardholders can borrow, stream and research free through NYPL and New York State digital collections:
📚 Services
- Teen Center with 3-D printers, 3-D pens, silkscreen & Cameo printing, iPads and Apple Pencils
- Video/photo studio equipment: cameras, tripods, lighting kits, photo printers and editing software
- Gaming consoles and creative software (Procreate, Stop Motion)
- James Weldon Johnson Reference Collection in the Children's Room
- African American & Black Culture reference collection
- College catalogs and financial-aid reference materials
- Free public computers, printing and Wi-Fi
- E-books, e-audiobooks and digital databases via NYPL card
🎸 Programs
- Teens 360° (Tisch Youth Education Program)
- College and Career Pathways
- Teen Reading Ambassadors & Teen Center Ambassadors
- Children's storytimes and kids programs
- Video production classes
- Meditation sessions and conversation classes
- Adult programming including knitting circles
📍 Nearby Libraries in Harlem
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Countee Cullen, and why was this library named for him?
Countee Cullen (1903–1946) was one of the foremost poets of the Harlem Renaissance — a Harlem resident, teacher and neighbor of the library. In September 1951, NYPL renamed the 136th Street branch in his honor, making it the first library in the entire NYPL system, and among the first public buildings in New York City, to be named for an African American. Approximately 3,000 people attended his 1946 funeral, a measure of his deep ties to the Harlem community.
What was on this site before the library was built?
Before the 1941 building, the site at 104 West 136th Street held the townhouse of Madam C. J. Walker's daughter A'Lelia Walker. Designed by Vertner Tandy — the first Black architect registered in New York State — the townhouse was famous for its upper-floor "Dark Tower" salon, which A'Lelia opened in October 1927 as a gathering place for Harlem Renaissance writers, artists and intellectuals. The building was demolished in 1941 to make way for the library.
What does the Teen Center at Countee Cullen Library offer?
The newly expanded Teen Center is a free creative and tech space for teens. It features 3-D printers, 3-D pens, silkscreen and Cameo printing, iPads with Apple Pencils, gaming consoles, and video/photo studio equipment including cameras, tripods, lighting kits and editing software. Programs include Teens 360° (through the Tisch Youth Education Program), College and Career Pathways, and Teen Reading and Center Ambassador programs.
What is the James Weldon Johnson Reference Collection?
The James Weldon Johnson Reference Collection is a curated resource for children housed in the second-floor Children's Room. It focuses on books and reference materials on the African American experience and is named for James Weldon Johnson — poet, civil rights leader and NAACP executive secretary — who, like Countee Cullen, was a pivotal figure of the Harlem Renaissance and the broader Black intellectual tradition.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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