Rosenberg Library, a public library located at 2310 Sealy Street in Galveston, Texas, United States, is the oldest continuously operating library in Texas. It serves as headquarters of the Galveston County Library System, and its librarian is also the Galveston County Librarian.[2]

Rosenberg Library
Rosenberg Library in 2016
Location2310 Sealy St.,
Galveston, Texas
Coordinates29°18′3″N 94°47′34″W / 29.30083°N 94.79278°W / 29.30083; -94.79278
Arealess than one acre
Built1902 (1902)
ArchitectMultiple
Architectural styleSecond Renaissance Revival
WebsiteRosenberg Library
MPSCentral Business District MRACentral Business District MRA
NRHP reference No.84001722[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 14, 1984

History edit

The library was established in 1900, and the building constructed a few years later.[3] In 1905 it absorbed the collection of the defunct Public Library (est. in 1871 as the Galveston Free Library).[4][5][6]

Segregation edit

 
Central High School and the "Colored Branch of the Rosenberg Library"

Like many institutions in the American South, during segregation the library maintained a separate branch for African Americans. This new library, built in 1905, was added to the western wing of Central High School, the city's high school for African Americans.[3]

Galveston and Texas History Center edit

The Galveston and Texas History Center collects materials relating to Galveston and early Texas. Major manuscript collections include the papers of Samuel May Williams, Gail Borden, John Grant Tod Jr., and James Morgan; the records of several 19th and early 20th century businesses, including those of I.H. Kempner, Harris Kempner, Henry M. Trueheart, and J. C. League; the records of several organizations and churches in the area; and 20th-century collections reflecting recent events and activities in Galveston and the upper Gulf Coast. The map collection includes maps and charts of Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and adjacent coasts dating from the 16th century to the present. Holdings of the museum department include historical artifacts pertaining to Galveston or early Texas, paintings of Galveston subjects or by local artists including Julius Stockfleth and Boyer Gonzalez, and a sizable collection of Russian and Greek icons. The rare book collection contains incunabula, first editions, and examples of fine printing.

 
The oldest free public library in continuous operation in Texas.
 
Statue of Henry Rosenberg at the Rosenberg Library

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Fall 2007 Galveston County Library System Newsletter Archived 2008-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b Henry Rosenberg, 1824-1893. Rosenberg Library. 1918.
  4. ^ Charter and Revised Ordinances of the City of Galveston. 1875.
  5. ^ Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  6. ^ "Historical Sketches of Texas Libraries: Galveston", Handbook of Texas Libraries, Austin: Texas Library Association, 1904, hdl:2027/uc1.b4221835

Bibliography edit

External links edit