page_title: List of libraries in 19th-century Philadelphia
hierarchical_section_title: List of libraries in 19th-century Philadelphia
caption_attribution_description: Interior, Library Company of Philadelphia
context_page_description: The following is a list of libraries located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, active in the 19th century. Included are public libraries, academic libraries, medical libraries, church libraries, government libraries, circulating libraries, and subscription libraries.
  A
  Academy of Natural Sciences
  Agnes Irwin's School
  Almshouse library
  American Baptist Historical Society
  American Baptist Publication Society
  American Catholic Historical Society
  American Entomological Society
  American Institute of Architects, Philadelphia Chapter
  American Philosophical Society.
  American Sunday-School Union
  Apprentices' Library Company
  Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  B
  Baptist Historical Society
  George E. Blake's circulating library
  Board of Missions of Presbyterian Church
  Boarding and Day School for Young Ladies
  Broad Street Academy Library
  Brotherhead's Circulating Library
  Burd Orphan Asylum
  Byberry Library
  C
  Carpenters' Company
  Catholic Philopatrian Society
  Central High School
  Chalk's Circulating Library, North Third St.
  Challen's Circulating Library
  Chase's Circulating Library
  Chestnut Hill Free Library
  Chestnut St. Female Seminary
  Christ Church Hospital
  Christ Church Library
  Christian Hall Library Company
context_section_description: The following is a list of libraries located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, active in the 19th century. Included are public libraries, academic libraries, medical libraries, church libraries, government libraries, circulating libraries, and subscription libraries.
  A
  Academy of Natural Sciences
  Agnes Irwin's School
  Almshouse library
  American Baptist Historical Society
  American Baptist Publication Society
  American Catholic Historical Society
  American Entomological Society
  American Institute of Architects, Philadelphia Chapter
  American Philosophical Society (est. 1743).
  American Sunday-School Union
  Apprentices' Library Company
  Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  B
  Baptist Historical Society
  George E. Blake's circulating library
  Board of Missions of Presbyterian Church
  Boarding and Day School for Young Ladies
  Broad Street Academy Library
  Brotherhead's Circulating Library
  Burd Orphan Asylum
  Byberry Library
  C
  Carpenters' Company
  Catholic Philopatrian Society
  Central High School
  Chalk's Circulating Library, North Third St.
  Challen's Circulating Library
  Chase's Circulating Library
  Chestnut Hill Free Library
  Chestnut St. Female Seminary
  Christ Church Hospital
  Christ Church Library
  Christian Hall Library Company
  Church of the Holy Apostle, Sunday School Library
  College Avenue Anat. School
  College of Physicians of Philadelphia
  College of St. Thomas of Villa Nova
  Colored Reading Society
  Controllers of Public Schools Library
  Edward Corfield's circulating library
  D
  Disston Library
  Drexel Institute Library (est.1891)
  E
  Eastburn Academy Library
  Eastern State Penitentiary
  Eclectic Medical College
  Edwin Forrest Home
  Engineers Club
  Episcopal Library and Reading Room
  F
  Female Medical College
  Florence Lit. Inst. and Library
  Franklin Institute
  Franklin Library Association
  Free Circulating Library for the Blind
  Free Library of Philadelphia (est.1891, opened 1894). Main branch located in City Hall (1894), then in Concert Hall (1895–1910)
  College Settlement branch
  Evening Home branch
  West Philadelphia branch
  Free Reading-Room Association of Spring Garden
  Friends' Asylum for the Insane
  Friends' Library
  Friends' Observatory
  G
  George Institute
  German Society of Pennsylvania
  Germantown Library
  Girard College
  Paul Girard's French Circulating Library
  Girl's Normal School Library
  Grand Army Republic, Post No.2
  Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania F.A.A.M.
  D. Guillemet's French Circulating Library
  H
  Hahnemann Medical College
  Harwood's Circulating Library
  Hebrew Literature Society
  Historical Society of Pennsylvania
  Home Teaching and Free Circulating Library for the Blind
  Homoeopathic Medical College
  House of Refuge
  Hirst Free Law Library
  I
  Institute for Colored Youth
  Institution for the Blind
  Institution for Deaf and Dumb
  Irish Library of the Cathedral
  J
  James Page Library Company
  Jefferson Medical College
  K
  Kensington Literary Institute (est.1853)
  L
  La Salle College
  Law Association of Philadelphia
  Leopold's Circulating Library
  Library and Reading Room Association of 23rd Ward (est.1857)
  Library Association of Friends
  Library Company of Colored Persons
  Library Company of Philadelphia (est. 1731), also called the Philadelphia Library
  Ridgway Branch
  Library of Foreign Classical Literature and Science
  Library of the Four Monthly Meetings of Friends
  Lovett Memorial Free Library
  M
  Mantua Academy
  Mariners' Church Library for Seamen
  Sarah McDonald's circulating library, S. 11th St.
  Mechanics' Institute of Southwark
  Medical Institute of Philadelphia
  Medico-Chirurgical College
  Memorial Free Library (Mount Airy)
  Mercantile Library Company
  Ann Miller's circulating library
  Moyamensing Literary Institute (est.1852)
  Mutual Library Co.
  N
  New Church Book Association
  North Broad Street Select School
  Northern Dispensary of Philadelphia
  Northern Home
  Northern Liberties Franklin Library
  Northern Liberties Library and Reading Room Co. (est.1830)
  Numismatic and Antiquarian Society
  O
  Odd Fellows' Library
  P
  Page Library
  Peirce College of Business
  Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
  Pennsylvania College, Medical Dept.
  Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery
  Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
  Penn
caption: Interior, Library Company of Philadelphia, 1859
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