Bayonne Public Library

The Bayonne Public Library is the free public library of Bayonne, New Jersey. Incorporated in 1890 it serves a population of approximately 63,000.Carnegie buildingThe main library is located at 697 Avenue C. The Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival building, sporting Ionic and Doric columns and rich in ornamental detail has undergone expansion and renovation since its 1904 opening. It is one of New Jersey's original thirty-six Carnegie libraries, constructed with a grant of $83,000 made April 13, 1903 by the Carnegie Corporation, still in use. In 1913, Andrew Carnegie donated another $30,000 for its expansion. The present structure was completed after its final expansion at the cost of $300,000. Frank L. Bodine submitted a proposal for the original but the one accepted came from Edward Lippincott Tilton, who also designed the rectangular annex in 1914. Charles Shilowitz designed major addition of the two wings that form a courtyard built between 1929 and 1933.In a Memorial Day fire in 1959 the central part of the interior and roof were badly burnt. After a $1.25 million restoration it re-opened to the public in 1963. The building was re-dedicated in 1989 as the Free Public Library & Cultural Center of Bayonne. Performing and visual arts and interactive events take place at The Mary O'Connor Gallery, while the lower level is used for meetings and cultural programs.