2. Jefferson Market Courthouse
The Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library is one of the most spectacular branch libraries in New York City. The library was constructed in 1877 as the Third Judicial District Courthouse with an adjoining jail, designed by Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux in the Victorian Gothic style. Its name was derived from the market originally located on the site which was named after Thomas Jefferson in the early 1830s.
By 1945, Jefferson Market, no longer serving as a courthouse and the building was utilized by various City agencies including the New York City Police Academy, which supposedly used it for riot training. In 1961, Mayor Robert F. Wagner announced that the building would be preserved by converting it into a branch of the New York Public Library. The library opened in 1967 after a two year conversion and restoration process. The library has incredible stained glass windows and has been featured in films including They Might Be Giants. The library’s tower is often open to the public as part of the Open House New York events and for Untapped Cities Insiders tours.
Check out more photos from our climb up the library’s tower.