Chestnut Hill Library
🏢 Free Library of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill Library
One of Philadelphia's oldest library sites, the Chestnut Hill Library has served the Germantown Avenue corridor since 1872 — first as a philanthropist's Christian Hall reading room, and since 1909 in a Carnegie-funded Georgian Revival fieldstone building designed by the celebrated firm of Cope and Stewardson.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 11am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 11am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–5pm |
| Thursday | 10am–5pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 8711 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Phone: (215) 685-9290
Website: libwww.freelibrary.org
Plus Code: 87G63QHR+47 (Philadelphia, PA)
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📖 About Chestnut Hill Library
The Chestnut Hill Library traces its roots to 1872, when Philadelphia merchant Henry Williams built the Christian Hall Library at 8711 Germantown Avenue to serve the neighborhood's schools and residents. Williams left a $15,000 endowment when he died in 1879, and in 1897 the trustees transferred the site to the Free Library of Philadelphia. The current building — opened in 1909 and funded by an Andrew Carnegie grant — was designed by Cope and Stewardson in Georgian Revival style, clad in gray local fieldstone with a stone portico, Doric columns, and large arched windows. In 1991 the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library funded a modern brick community-room addition, designed by Cecil Baker and Associates and connected to the historic wing by a glassed passageway; the addition received the Pennsylvania Society of Architects Design Award in 1997. A 1999 renovation as part of the system-wide "Changing Lives" campaign brought broadband Internet to every desk, and the Friends have continued landscaping and garden improvements through the 2010s. Today the branch sits half a block north of Bethlehem Pike in a well-tended garden and remains a cornerstone of the Chestnut Hill neighborhood.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Carnegie-funded Georgian Revival building (1909), designed by Cope and Stewardson, clad in local gray fieldstone with Doric columns — one of 25 such Carnegie branches in Philadelphia
- Community-room addition (1991) by Cecil Baker and Associates, winner of the 1997 Pennsylvania Society of Architects Design Award
- Friends-maintained Secret Garden on the library grounds, open to the public for quiet visits
- Textile Crafters Club — a weekly drop-in needlework group open to all ages and skill levels
- Hilltop Books, a volunteer-run nonprofit used bookstore at 84 Bethlehem Pike (est. 2021), operated by the Friends to benefit the branch
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Philadelphia cardholders can read, stream and research free through the Free Library's shared digital collections and Pennsylvania's statewide resources:
📚 Services
- Public computers, Wi-Fi, printing and photocopying
- Community room / meeting room available for reservation (Cecil Baker 1991 addition)
- OverDrive / Libby digital lending (eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines)
- POWER Library statewide databases (research, newspapers, academic journals)
- Free Library of Philadelphia shared catalog across all 54 branches
- Friendly reading garden on library grounds (Friends' Secret Garden)
🎸 Programs
- Textile Crafters Club — weekly drop-in (knitting, crochet, embroidery; all ages)
- Storytime Yoga — caregiver-and-child sessions for ages 18 months to 5 years
- Theatre Adventures — creative drama program for youth
- STEM building activities (LEGO, Magna Tiles, Bionicles, wooden blocks)
- SAT prep study sessions (free, small-group; seasonally)
- Ghost Walk Stories — annual October literary event
📍 Nearby Libraries in Philadelphia
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Philadelphia · Browse all Pennsylvania libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Chestnut Hill Library building, and who designed it?
The current building opened in 1909, funded by a Carnegie grant and designed by Cope and Stewardson — the same Philadelphia firm behind the University of Pennsylvania's Quadrangle dormitories and Bryn Mawr College's Pembroke Hall. It is one of 25 Carnegie branch libraries the Free Library built between 1904 and 1930, and stands as a Georgian Revival landmark clad in gray local fieldstone at 8711 Germantown Avenue.
What are the Chestnut Hill Library's current hours, and is it open on weekends?
The library is open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Call (215) 685-9290 before visiting, as hours can change for holidays or special events.
What is the Textile Crafters Club at Chestnut Hill Library?
The Textile Crafters Club is a free weekly drop-in program at the branch where knitters, crocheters, embroiderers and other needlecrafters of all ages and skill levels gather to work on projects together. Volunteers teach techniques, and the library supplies materials, so you can join even without your own project.
What is Hilltop Books and how is it connected to the library?
Hilltop Books (84 Bethlehem Pike, Philadelphia) is a volunteer-run nonprofit used bookstore opened in early 2021 by the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library. When Borders closed in 2010 the neighborhood lost its last bookstore; Hilltop Books filled that gap. All proceeds benefit the Chestnut Hill branch's programs and collections, making it a direct extension of the library's community mission.
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