Gothic-Style Library | Former Courthouse, Prison🏛️📚

After being scared off by the prices at New York’s boutique coffee shops, I started hanging out at various libraries. After visiting so many, I decided to write a little review! ☕📖 Located near the Manhattan campus, the Jefferson Market Library is a gem. Every time I visit after 11 AM, the best spots on the second floor are always taken. But whenever I’m nearby, I can’t help but try my luck again—working in the grand hall surrounded by stained glass windows, praying that knowledge will shine through the glass and into my brain like sunlight… (wishful thinking 🌞🧠). I always wondered why a library had “market” in its name. Turns out, its past life was as the Jefferson Market Courthouse, built alongside a prison and market between 1875 and 1877. 🏛️⛓️ “This Victorian Gothic building was once the busiest local court in New York until the 1960s, when its judicial functions gradually ceased. The building faced demolition, but thanks to the efforts of local residents, it miraculously transformed into a library in 1967. Today, it’s both a New York City landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.” Over time, the courthouse functions were abandoned, and the building was at risk of being torn down. Thanks to the community, it was converted into a public library in 1967 and became a NYC landmark + National Historic Landmark. 🏛️✨ The library retains its original architectural charm but has repurposed its spaces: the second floor, once a civil courtroom, is now the adult reading room; the first floor, formerly a police court, is now the children’s reading room; and the basement, with its brick arches, once held prisoners but now houses the reference book collection. The 100-foot-tall fire observation tower at the top still stands, complete with a bell used to summon volunteer firefighters. Though it’s mostly closed to the public, it’s occasionally open for tours. 🔔🚒 While it’s beautiful, seating is limited. If you’re nearby in the morning, it’s worth a visit! 🌅📚 #NYCLibraries #ArchitecturalBeauty #HistoricPreservation #QuirkyRestroomSigns #PerfectForPretendingToStudyWithYourCrush