Muhlenberg Library
209 W. 23rd St.
212-924-1585www.nypl.org/locations/muhlenberg
Designed by the famed architects Carrere and Hastings, the Muhlenberg Library has served the Chelsea area for nearly a century. The branch – an elegant three-story brick and limestone structure built funds given to the city by Andrew Carnegie – is named for William Augustus Muhlenberg, the first rector of Chelsea’s Church of the Holy Communion. As rector, he donated many books to the Free Circulating Library, which later became part of The New York Public Library.
In 2000, the branch was renovated through the Library’s Adopt-A-Branch program; care was taken to preserve the historic character of the building. The refurbished branch has an adult and young adult area on the main floor; a children’s room with a story hour space on the second floor; and, on the third floor, a community room for public programs and meetings. The branch is now fully accessible to wheelchairs.