B uilt upon what was once a Revolutionary War battlefield and later the home of the Croton Reservoir, The New York Public Library's landmark 42nd Street building is the cornerstone of The New York Public Library. In 1848, John Jacob Astor bequeathed a large sum of money to New York City to establish the first privately endowed free public library in the United States, and in 1871 James Lenox founded the Lenox Library, which principally housed his important collection of rare books. Then, in 1895, these two libraries, along with funds left to the city by former New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden, were consolidated as The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. Soon after, a competition was launched for the design of the new Library building. The winners of the contest were John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings, and construction began in 1899. The entire project took 12 years, utilized 530,000 cubic feet of white Vermont marble, and cost slightly over $ 9 million. The 42nd Street building opened formally on May 23, 1911. Since then, The New York Public Library, the largest public library system in the world, has grown to include more than 90 locations throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. In 2009, after a generous gift to the Library of $ 100 million, the 42nd Street location was renamed The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The Schwarzman Building remains the visual representation of The New York Public Library, and Patience and Fortitude, the majestic Library lions who guard the grand front steps, have become the unofficial mascots of New York City. History © The New York Public Library

6 Event Spaces Above photo © Lis Pearson; photo to right © Christian Oth Studio