List of libraries in 19th-century Boston
This list includes libraries located in Boston, Massachusetts, active in the 19th century. Included are reading-rooms, circulating libraries, subscription libraries, public libraries, academic libraries, medical libraries, children's libraries, church libraries, and government libraries.
List of libraries














- A
 
- Adjutant-General's Library[1]
 - Almshouse Library[2]
 - American Academy of Arts and Sciences Library[1][2]
 - American Baptist Union Library[2]
 - American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Library,[1][2] Mission House, Pemberton Square
 - American Institute of Instruction Library[1][2]
 - American Peace Society Library[2]
 - American Statistical Association Library[1][2]
 - American Unitarian Association[1]
 - Mary Ashley, no.124 Charles St.[3]
 - Asylum and Farm School Library[2]
 
- B
 
- Backup's Circulating Library[2]
 - Luke Baker's circulating library, no.69 Court St.[4]
 - Berkeley Circulating Library[5]
 - Bigelow School Library[2]
 - Bixby's Circulating Library;[2] L.W. Bixby, Washington St.[6]
 - William Pinson Blake and Lemuel Blake, circulating library at the Boston Book-Store, no.1, Cornhill[7]
 - Board of Trade Library[1][2]
 - Boston and Albany Railroad Library (est.1868)[8]
 - Boston Art Club Library[2]
 - Boston Athenaeum
 - Boston Circulating Library, no.3 School St.; E. Penniman Jr.;[9] no.5 Cornhill-Square[10]
 - Boston City Hospital Library[2]
 - Boston College Library[2]
 - Boston Library Society[2]
 - Boston Lunatic Hospital Library[2]
 - Boston Medical Library (1805-1826)[11]
 - Boston Medical Library (est. 1875)
 - Boston Public Library
 - Boston Society for Medical Improvement[1]
 - Boston Society of Natural History Library[1][2]
 - Boston Society of the New Jerusalem Church Library[2]
 - Boston Theological Library[2][11]
 - Boston Turnverein Library[2]
 - Boston University
 - Boston Young Men's Christian Union Library,[2] no.20 Boylston[6]
 - Bowditch Library[1]
 - Bowdoin Literary Association[1]
 - Boylston Library[12]
 - Brattle Square Church Library[2]
 - Broadway Circulating Library[2]
 - Bromfield Street Church Library[2]
 - Eliza Brown, circulating library[13]
 - Bulfinch Place Chapel Library[2]
 - Burnham & Bros., no.60 Cornhill;[14] Thomas Burnham, Perry Burnham[12]
 - Kezia Butler, no.82 Newbury Street[12][15]
 
- C
 
- Campbell's Circulating Library[2]
 - Carney Hospital Library[2]
 - Carter's Circulating Library[2][12]
 - Callender's Library, School St.; also known as the Shakespeare Library; Charles Callender, H.G. Callender[3][12][16]
 - Charlestown High School Library[2]
 - Christ Church Library[2]
 - Christian Unity Library[2]
 - Church Home for Orphans Library[2]
 - Church of the Advent Library[2]
 - City Point Circulating Library[2]
 - Clarendon Library, Clarendon St.[6]
 - W.B. Clarke's circulating library[12]
 - Columbian Circulating Library, no.43 Cornhill
 - Columbian Social Library (est.1813), Boylston Hall[17][18]
 - Comer's Commercial College[1]
 - Congregational Library & Archives,[2] corner of Beacon and Somerset[1][6]
 - Consumptives' Home Library[2]
 
- D
 
- Deaf Mute Library Association[2]
 - Democratic reading room, corner Congress St. and Congress Sq.[3]
 - Dorchester Athenaeum Library[2]
 - Dramatic Fund Association[1]
 - J.H. Duclos & Bro., no.57 Warren St.[6]
 
- E
 
- F
 
- Caroline Fanning[19]
 - Farrer's Circulating Library[2]
 - First Christian Church Library[2]
 - First Universalist Church Library[2]
 - Frederick Fletcher, no.55 Meridian, East Boston[20]
 - Franklin Circulating Library, no.69 Court St.[21]
 - Franklin Typographical Society Library[1][2]
 
- G
 
- Gate of Heaven Church Library[2]
 - Library of the General Court[1]
 - General Theological Library (est.1860);[2][12] no.12 West St.[6]
 - Gill's Circulating Library[2]
 - Good Samaritan Church Library[2]
 - Grand Lodge of Masons Library[2]
 - Grant & Brown, no.873 Washington St.[6]
 - Guild Library of Church of the Advent[2]
 
- H
 
- Halliday's Circulating Library, West St.[2][5]
 - Hancock Library, 42 Hancock; A. Boyden[22]
 - Handel and Haydn Library[1]
 - Harvard Chapel Library[2]
 - Harvard Musical Library[2]
 - Medical College of Harvard University Library[2]
 - C.W. Holbrook's circulating library; no.88 Dover[6]
 - Holy Trinity Church Library[2]
 - Home for Aged Women Library[2]
 - House of Correction Library[2]
 - House of Industry Library[2]
 - House of Reformation Library[2]
 
- J
 
- K
 
- L
 
- Ladies Circulating Library, Washington St.; N. Nutting, proprietor[19]
 - Lawrence Association Library[2]
 - R.L. Learned's circulating library, Tremont St.[5]
 - Lincoln School Library[2]
 - Lindsay's Circulating Library;[2] George W. Lindsey, Washington St.[20]
 - Liscomb's Circulating Library[2]
 - Loring's Circulating Library;[2] Loring's Select Library, Washington St.;[20] A.K. Loring[12]
 - A.F. Low's circulating library, Meridian St.[5]
 - Lowe's Circulating Library[2]
 
- M
 
- Marine Board of Underwriters' Library[2]
 - Mariners' Exchange reading room, no.1 Lewis[20]
 - Mariner's House, North Square[23]
 - Thomas Marsh's circulating library, Beach St.[5]
 - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy[1]
 - Massachusetts Historical Society
 - Massachusetts Horticultural Society Library[2]
 - Massachusetts Hospital[1]
 - Massachusetts New Church Union Library[2]
 - Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-minded Youth[1]
 - Massachusetts Society for Promotion of Agriculture[1]
 - Massachusetts State Library
 - Massachusetts State Prison Library[2]
 - Massachusetts Teachers' Association[1]
 - Massachusetts Total Abstinence Society Library[2]
 - Mayhew and Baker's Juvenile Circulating Library, no.208 Washington St.[12]
 - McGrath's Circulating Library[2]
 - Mechanic Apprentices Library Association[2]
 - J.O. Mendum's circulating library, Tremont St.[5]
 - Mercantile Library Association Library[2]
 - Merchants Exchange reading room, Merchants Exchange building, State St.;[24] "basement, Old State House"[20]
 - Merrill's Circulating Library;[2] C.H. Merrill, no.1575 Washington St.[6]
 - Methodist Episcopal Church Library[2]
 - Catherine Moore's circulating library, no.436 Washington St.[3][14]
 - Mount Vernon Church Library[2]
 - Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies[1]
 - Munroe & Francis, juvenile library, no.4 Cornhill[25]
 - Musical Society Library[1][2]
 
- N
 
- New England Conservatory of Music Library[2]
 - New England Female Medical College[1]
 - New England Historic Genealogical Society[2]
 - New England Hospital Library[2]
 - New England Methodist Historical Society[1]
 - Norcross School Library[2]
 - North End Circulating Library, no.123 Hanover St.; Thomas Hiller Jr.[3][26]
 - Notre Dame Academy Library[2]
 
- O
 
- Odd Fellows' Library[2]
 - Old Colony Chapel Library[2]
 - Osgood's Circulating Library[2]
 
- P
 
- Paine's Circulating Library[2]
 - Samuel H. Parker's circulating library
 - H.B. Payne & Co.'s circulating library[5]
 - Elizabeth Peabody's foreign circulating library, no.13 West St.[3]
 - William Pelham's circulating library, no.59 Cornhill
 - Penitent Female Refuge Society Library[2]
 - F.W. Perkins' circulating library[5]
 - Library of Perkins Institution for the Blind[1][2]
 - Pioneer Circulating Library[2]
 - Prince Library[27]
 
- Q
 
- Quinn's Circulating Library[2]
 
- R
 
- Lydia Reed[19]
 - Republican Institution[1]
 - Republican Reading Room, Bromfield St.[20]
 - E.R. Rich & Son; no.477 West Broadway[6]
 - Roxbury Athenaeum Library[2]
 - Roxbury High School Library[2]
 
- S
 
- Sage's Circulating Library;[2] William Sage, no.371 Tremont[6]
 - Sailors Home Library[2]
 - School of Technology Library[2]
 - Second Methodist Church Library[2]
 - W.F. & M.H. Shattuck, no.106 Main[6]
 - Shawmut Avenue Baptist Church Library[2]
 - Shawmut Mission Library[2]
 - Social Law Library[2]
 - Society to Encourage Studies at Home
 - South End Circulating Library[2]
 - Mary Sprague's circulating library, no.9 Milk St.[12][28]
 - St. Francis de Sales Church Library[2]
 - St. Joseph Circulating Library[2]
 - St. Mary's Young Men's Sodality Library[2]
 - St. Stephen's Church Library[2]
 - State Agricultural Library[2]
 - Stoughton Street Church Library[2]
 - Suffolk Circulating Library; corner of Court and Brattle St.; N.S. Simpkins, J. Simpkins[29]
 - Sumner library, no.6 Winthrop block, East Boston[20]
 
T
- Teuthorn's Circulating Library;[2] Julius Teuthorn, no.10 Beach[6]
 - George Ticknor's private library, no.8 Park St.
 - Toll-Gate Circulating Library,[2] no.665 East Broadway[5][6]
 - D.A. Tompkins, no.127 Hanover St.[14]
 - Treadwell Library, Massachusetts General Hospital[2]
 
- U
 
- Union Circulating Library, no.4 Cornhill, corner of Water St.;[30] William Blagrove
 - Union Mission Church Library[2]
 - Unitarian Association Library[2]
 - S.R. Urbino, foreign circulating library
 
- V
 
- W
 
- Walker's Circulating Library[2]
 - J.B. Walker, no.1392 Tremont[6]
 - Thomas O. Walker, no.68 Cornhill[3][5][12]
 - Warren Street Chapel Library[2]
 - Washington Circulating Library, no.38 Newbury St.[31]
 - Washington Circulating Library, no.11 School St.[32]
 - Washingtonian Home Library[2]
 - West Boston Library, Cambridge St.[12]
 - West Church Library[2]
 - West Roxbury Free library, Centre St.[6]
 - West Roxbury High School Library[2]
 - Whig reading room, no.144 Washington St.[3]
 - Winkley & Boyd's Central library[20]
 - Workingmen's Reading Room
 
- Y
 
- Boston Young Men's Christian Association Library (YMCA),[2] Tremont Temple[1][20]
 - Young Men's Christian Union[1]
 - Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), no.68 Warrenton[6]
 - Young Men's Working Association Library[2]
 
- Z
 
- Zion Church Library[2]
 
See also
- Books in the United States
 - List of libraries in 18th century Massachusetts
 - List of booksellers in Boston
 
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af William Jones Rhees (1859), Manual of public libraries, institutions, and societies, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., ISBN 9780608404431, OCLC 3991453, OL 6937678M 
{{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw Massachusetts Census: 1875. 1876. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h Boston Directory ... 1848.
 - ^ Boston Directory. 1813
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j Boston almanac and business directory: 1878
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Boston Almanac and Directory ... 1876.
 - ^ Catalogue of W.P. & L. Blake's circulating library at the Boston Book-Store, no.1, Cornhill (Boston: William P. and Lemuel Blake, 1800)
 - ^ Also called the "Circulating and Consulting Library for the Officers and Employees of the Boston and Albany Railroad Company;" cf. "Railroad Libraries." Journal of social science: containing the Transactions of the American Association, no.2. 1870
 - ^ Boston Mirror, Dec. 17, 1808
 - ^ Boston Patriot, March 31, 1810
 - ^ a b Boston Directory. 1810
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Charles K. Bolton (February 1907). "Circulating Libraries in Boston, 1765-1865". Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts. 11. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
 - ^ Boston Directory. 1858
 - ^ a b c Boston Directory. 1850
 - ^ Boston Directory. 1805
 - ^ Boston Directory. 1818
 - ^ Catalog of Books in the Columbian Social Library. Boston: 1818
 - ^ Bowen's Picture of Boston, 3rd ed. 1838.
 - ^ a b c David Kaser (1980), A book for a sixpence, Pittsburgh: Beta Phi Mu, ISBN 0-910230-14-5, OL 4402878M, 0910230145
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i Boston Directory ... 1868.
 - ^ Columbian Centinel, Feb. 12, 1823
 - ^ Boston Almanac. 1847
 - ^ "Mariner's House, North Square." Dearborn's Reminiscences of Boston. Boston: N. Dearborn, 1851
 - ^ Goodrich. The family tourist. 1848
 - ^ ca.1820 advertisement in: American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series 1
 - ^ Boston Directory. 1852
 - ^ Catalogue of the library of Rev. Thomas Prince: former pastor of Old South Church. Presented by him to the Old South Church and Society. Boston: Crocker and Brewster, 1846
 - ^ Independent Chronicle, May 17, 1802; cf. Bolton
 - ^ Boston Daily Advertiser, July 17, 1822
 - ^ Boston Daily Advertiser, Aug. 23, 1815
 - ^ Catalog of the Washington Circulating Library, Boston. 1817
 - ^ Catalog of the Washington Circulating Library, Boston. 1833
 
Further reading
- Bacon's dictionary of Boston. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1886.
 - Charles K. Bolton (April 1909). "Social Libraries in Boston". Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts.
 - Jesse Hauk Shera (1949), Foundations of the public library: The Origins Of The Public Library Movement In New England 1629-1855, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, OCLC 575422, OL 6048468M
 
External links
- Princeton University. Davies Project. American Libraries before 1876.