New York Public Library Epiphany Branch
228-230 East 23rd Street,
New York, NY 10010
Year(s) built: 1907
Year opened: 1907
Architect(s): Carrere & Hastings
Builder(s): E.E. Paul Company
Status: Library, no designation
Designed by Carrere & Hastings, the Epiphany library is located on the south side of East 23rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. It has a classically-inspired style (a simplified Beaux-Arts model that was the preferred style for public structures in the early-Twentieth Century), three stories, an arched entrance that is not central, ornamental stone masonry, and tall, large arched windows on the first floor that allow an abundance of light into a relatively simple interior.
The Epiphany Branch continues to operate as a branch of the New York Public Library. A major WPA-funded renovation took place in 1939, and the library’s community successfully blocked plans for demolition in 1968. In the 1980s, Glass and Glass Architects designed a fifth bay at the building’s western end to provide for accessibility for the disabled. The side bay became the new main entrance and the former front door was converted to a window. Current goals include the addition of a Building Management System and an initial survey for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements.
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Return to view the full list of Manhattan Carnegie Libraries:
http://hdc.org/hdc-across-nyc/manhattan/carnegie-libraries/epiphany-branch