Bates Hall, Boston Public Library

📚 Bates Hall, Boston Public Library – 1896 📍 North America » United States » Massachusetts » Suffolk » City of Boston » Boston

This majestic view of Bates Hall in 1896 captures the grandeur of one of America’s first public libraries. With its high barrel-vaulted ceiling, rows of reading lamps, and elegant symmetry, this hall was more than just a reading room — it was a temple of knowledge for a growing, literate city.

The Boston Public Library was the first large free municipal library in the U.S., and Bates Hall became a symbol of public education, civic pride, and democracy through learning.

🕰️ Over a century later, its beauty endures — and so does its mission.

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