Gould Memorial Library

Gould Memorial Library
Map
General information
TypeEvent space, former library
Architectural styleNeoclassical
Address1930 Sedgwick Avenue
Town or cityThe Bronx, New York City
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°51′31.5″N 73°54′50.3″W / 40.858750°N 73.913972°W / 40.858750; -73.913972
Current tenantsBronx Community College
Named forJay Gould
GroundbreakingOctober 19, 1895
Completed1900
Closed1973 (as library)
ClientNew York University
OwnerCity University of New York
Technical details
Structural systemSteel superstructure
MaterialBrick and limestone facade
Design and construction
Architect(s)Stanford White
Other information
Public transit accessSubway: 4 train at Burnside Avenue
Metro-North: Hudson Line at University Heights
Website
www.bcc.cuny.edu/about-bcc/history-architecture/gould-memorial-library/
DesignatedSeptember 7, 1979
Reference no.79001567[1]
Designated entityHall of Fame Complex
DesignatedFebruary 15, 1966[2]
Reference no.0112[2]
Designated entityFacade
DesignatedAugust 11, 1981[3]
Reference no.1087[3]
Designated entityInterior

The Gould Memorial Library (GML; also nicknamed Gould) is a building on the campus of Bronx Community College (BCC), an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), in University Heights, Bronx, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Stanford White of the firm McKim, Mead & White. Constructed between 1895 and 1900 as the central library of New York University (NYU)'s Bronx campus, it was part of the New York University Libraries system. The library is named after railroad magnate Jay Gould, whose daughter Helen Miller Shepard funded the project in his memory. Gould is no longer used as a library, instead serving primarily as an event space. Gould's facade and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gould is arranged in the shape of a Greek cross and is surrounded by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans to its west. The library's main entrance is on the east side, where there is a portico with a Corinthian-style colonnade. The copper dome contains an ornamental frieze as well as an oculus at its center. Inside the entrance vestibule, a barrel-vaulted stair hall leads up to offices and a circular reading room. The ornately designed reading room contains two colonnades flanking two balcony levels; multiple Tiffany glass windows; a balustrade with sixteen statues; and a coffered ceiling. Originally, the reading room was surrounded by three levels of stacks and 18 seminar rooms. Under the library was a 600-seat auditorium.

New York University's Bronx campus was developed in the 1890s. Construction on the library started in 1895 after Shepard anonymously donated $200,000. During much of the 20th century, NYU used the library for commencement ceremonies and other events. The university installed numerous busts of artists inside the library during the 1920s and 1930s. NYU built additional campus libraries in the 1950s due to a lack of space at Gould, and the auditorium was rebuilt after an arson attack in 1969. After NYU sold its Bronx campus to CUNY in 1973, the Gould Library was converted into an event space, and the library fell into disrepair. The auditorium was restored in 2000, and the library was further refurbished in the early 21st century.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference nris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NYCL-0112 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 1981, p. 1.