Free Library of Philadelphia, Wyoming Branch, 231 East Wyoming Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Significance: Completed in 1930, the Wyoming Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia was the last of twenty-five branch libraries built through an endowment from industrialist-turned-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The impact of Carnegie's grant program on the development of public libraries cannot be overstated. He came of age in an era when libraries were rare, privately funded institutions and access was through subscription. Believing in the power of libraries to create an egalitarian society that favored hard work over social privilege by allowing equal access to knowledge, between 1886 and 1917 he provided forty million dollars for the construction of 1,679 libraries throughout the nation. The vast resources that he allotted to library research and construction contributed significantly to the development of the American Library as a building type. In addition, by insisting that municipalities supply a building site, books, and annual maintenance funds before bestowing grants Carnegie elevated libraries from the arena of private philanthropy to that of civic responsibility.

Philadelphia was the recipient of one of the largest Carnegie grants for library construction. Although the city was among the first to establish a free library system, it had no purpose-built structures prior to the Carnegie endowment. The branch libraries were built between 1905 and 1930, under the direction of the city appointed Carnegie Fund Committee, and designed by a "who's-who" of Philadelphia's architects. The twenty extant branch libraries remain as a remarkable intact and cohesive grouping, rivaled only by that of New York City, with fifty-seven. The Wyoming Branch was designed by architect for the city, Philip H. Johnson. He was one of only two architects to design more than one of Philadelphia's Carnegie branch libraries; Johnson was also responsible for the design of the Greenwich (no longer extant) and Kingsessing libraries. The land was set aside from a portion of a city playground, the remainder of which is still used for public recreation and is located to the rear of the building. From an architectural standpoint the Wyoming Branch is typical of Philadelphia's Carnegie-funded branch libraries; it follows the almost formulaic understated Beaux Arts styling, T-plan, and brick construction that came to define Carnegie Libraries nationwide. In addition, this building was touted as completely fireproof throughout, constructed with a steel substructure, faced with brick, and including limestone detail elements. It also bears the distinction of being the last Carnegie-funded library built anywhere.
Survey number: HABS PA-6766
Building/structure dates: 1930 Initial Construction