The McKim Building is the original building of the Boston Public Library, occupying a site on Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Designed by Charles Follen McKim in the Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts styles, it was commissioned after the Massachusetts state legislature set aside land for a central library in 1880 and opened to the public in February 1895, though it took two decades to complete the building's artwork. Its nearly square plan surrounds an outdoor courtyard behind a three-story granite facade, with a marble entrance vestibule, a vaulted lobby and grand staircase, and Bates Hall, a barrel-vaulted reading room spanning the width of the second floor. The building's design has been widely praised over the years and it is designated a National Historic Landmark.
Facts
Year Created LocationCopley Square, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts, United States 1 Architectural StyleRenaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts 1 Structural SystemGranite masonry with Guastavino tile vaulting 1 Primary Material Building Type Commissioned ByBoston Public Library trustees 1 Construction Height (metres) Storey Count Current UsePublic library, research collection open to visitors 1 Visitor AccessFree and open to the public 1 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. McKim Building (Boston Public Library) (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, second paragraph, third sentence
Even after the McKim Building opened in February 1895, it took two decades to complete the building's artwork.
Development, Construction, Exterior work subsection, first sentence
A cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new library was hosted on November 28, 1888, after a two-month postponement.
Lead section, first sentence
The Central Library (also the Copley Square Library) is the main location of the Boston Public Library (BPL), occupying a full city block on Copley Square in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Lead section, second sentence
The McKim Building, which includes the library's research collection, is designed in the Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts styles.
McKim Building section, first sentence
The original part of the Central Library, known as the McKim Building, is a three-story Italianate Renaissance structure designed by Charles Follen McKim, measuring 70 feet (21 m) high from ground to cornice.
Exterior section, facade description
The facade is made of Milford granite and is articulated with horizontal decorative features such as belt courses, friezes, windows, and cornices.
Interior section, final sentence
The building's Guastavino tiles are laid in a herringbone pattern and are used in the stairs, floors, walls, and ceilings.
Lead section, final sentence of first paragraph
The library has 4 million annual visitors as of 2024.
Dartmouth Street elevation subsection
The words "FREE TO ALL" are inscribed above the central keystone.
Development, McKim design subsection, first sentence
On March 10, 1887, the BPL's trustees were given full authority to select their own architect.
Genre reference
The McKim Building is the original building of the Boston Public Library, occupying a site on Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood.
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