The Tompkins Square Branch traces its origins to the Fifth Street Branch of the Aguilar Free Library, which opened in 1887 at 624 Fifth Street on Manhattan's lower east side. The branch moved several times prior to the 1903 merger of the Aguilar...
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The Tompkins Square Branch traces its origins to the Fifth Street Branch of the Aguilar Free Library, which opened in 1887 at 624 Fifth Street on Manhattan's lower east side. The branch moved several times prior to the 1903 merger of the Aguilar Free Library with NYPL. In 1904 it opened in a new building at 331 East 10th Street, facing Tompkins Square Park. The building was designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, and was constructed with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. Traditionally, Tompkins Square has served varied ethnic populations, including German, Italian, Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian, and, since the 1960s, a thriving arts community. A major renovation of the branch was completed in 1996. Reports, clippings, scrapbooks and administrative files documenting operations of the Tompkins Square Branch of The New York Public Library.
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