🏢 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Lawrenceville Branch

The Lawrenceville branch is a genuine piece of American library history: it opened in 1898 as the sixth Carnegie-funded library in the country and pioneered the open shelves and dedicated children's room that libraries everywhere now take for granted.

📖 About Lawrenceville Branch

Designed by the noted firm Alden & Harlow, the Lawrenceville branch opened on May 10, 1898, becoming the second location in the Pittsburgh city library system after the Main branch and the sixth Carnegie-funded library to open in America. It broke new ground as the first Carnegie library to use open, self-service shelving and the first anywhere to include a room dedicated to children, an idea that spread across the country. The land was donated by the local school board from the grounds of the former Foster School. The site was once an early Lawrenceville cemetery, and a historic gravestone believed to have been uncovered during construction is still kept inside the library. Recognized as a Pittsburgh historic landmark, the building continues to anchor the walkable Lawrenceville neighborhood along Fisk Street.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• Opened May 10, 1898 as the sixth Carnegie-funded library in America
• First Carnegie library with open, self-service shelves
• First library anywhere with a dedicated children's room
• Historic gravestone from the site's former cemetery kept inside

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions