Green Lake Branch
🏢 The Seattle Public Library — Seattle, Washington
Green Lake Branch
Born from a neighborhood fundraising drive and a Carnegie gift, the 1910 Green Lake Branch is a French Renaissance landmark overlooking the lake's east shore.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Tuesday | 12 PM – 8 PM |
| Wednesday | 12 PM – 8 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Sunday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 7364 E Green Lake Drive N, Seattle, WA 98115
Phone: (206) 684-7547
Website: spl.org
📖 About Green Lake Branch
The Green Lake Branch grew out of grassroots community effort: after the library opened a small reading room on the lake's east side in 1905, some 40 Green Lake business and civic leaders led a 1908 drive to buy land for a proper library building. Andrew Carnegie agreed that year to contribute $35,000, and the finished 5,000-square-foot library opened in 1910. It was designed by Seattle architects W. Marbury Somervell and Joseph S. Coté, who won a competition of 33 firms and went on to design three of the city's 1909–1910 branches — Green Lake, University District, and West Seattle. The firm executed Green Lake in what it called a 'modern French Renaissance style,' and its T-shaped plan follows one of Carnegie's preferred library layouts, with main-floor reading areas above a lower-level auditorium. Prized for its rich interior detailing and warm, historic feel, the building was named a City of Seattle landmark in 2001 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 2024 renovation funded by the 2019 Library Levy added seismic retrofitting and air conditioning while preserving the Carnegie building's character.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- 1910 Carnegie building that began with a neighborhood-led fundraising drive
- Designed by Somervell and Coté in a 'modern French Renaissance style'
- Named a Seattle landmark in 2001 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2024 renovation added seismic retrofitting and air conditioning via the 2019 Library Levy
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Green Lake community help create this library?
After a small reading room opened on the lake's east side in 1905, roughly 40 Green Lake business and community leaders organized a 1908 drive to purchase land, which — combined with a $35,000 Andrew Carnegie gift — funded the building that opened in 1910.
What architectural style is the Green Lake Branch?
Architects Somervell and Coté designed it in what their firm described as a 'modern French Renaissance style,' with a T-shaped plan placing main-floor reading rooms above a lower-level auditorium — one of Carnegie's preferred library layouts.
What did the recent renovation change about the historic building?
A 2024 project funded by the 2019 Library Levy gave the landmarked Carnegie building seismic retrofitting for safety and air conditioning for comfort, while keeping its rich historic interior detailing intact.
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