List of libraries in 19th-century Boston

This list includes libraries located in Boston, Massachusetts, active in the 19th century. Included are reading-rooms, circulating libraries, subscription libraries, public libraries, academic libraries, medical libraries, children's libraries, church libraries, and government libraries.

List of libraries



 * A
 * Adjutant-General's Library
 * Almshouse Library
 * American Academy of Arts and Sciences Library
 * American Baptist Union Library
 * American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Library, Mission House, Pemberton Square
 * American Institute of Instruction Library
 * American Peace Society Library
 * American Statistical Association Library
 * American Unitarian Association
 * Mary Ashley, no.124 Charles St.
 * Asylum and Farm School Library
 * B
 * Backup's Circulating Library
 * Luke Baker's circulating library, no.69 Court St.
 * Berkeley Circulating Library
 * Bigelow School Library
 * Bixby's Circulating Library; L.W. Bixby, Washington St.
 * William Pinson Blake and Lemuel Blake, circulating library at the Boston Book-Store, no.1, Cornhill
 * Board of Trade Library
 * Boston and Albany Railroad Library (est.1868)
 * Boston Art Club Library
 * Boston Athenaeum
 * Boston Circulating Library, no.3 School St.; E. Penniman Jr.; no.5 Cornhill-Square
 * Boston City Hospital Library
 * Boston College Library
 * Boston Library Society
 * Boston Lunatic Hospital Library
 * Boston Medical Library (1805-1826)
 * Boston Medical Library (est. 1875)
 * Boston Public Library
 * Boston Society for Medical Improvement
 * Boston Society of Natural History Library
 * Boston Society of the New Jerusalem Church Library
 * Boston Theological Library
 * Boston Turnverein Library
 * Boston University
 * Boston University Library
 * Boston University School of Medicine Library
 * Boston University Theological Library
 * Boston Young Men's Christian Union Library, no.20 Boylston
 * Bowditch Library
 * Bowdoin Literary Association
 * Boylston Library
 * Brattle Square Church Library
 * Broadway Circulating Library
 * Bromfield Street Church Library
 * Eliza Brown, circulating library
 * Bulfinch Place Chapel Library
 * Burnham & Bros., no.60 Cornhill; Thomas Burnham, Perry Burnham
 * Kezia Butler, no.82 Newbury Street
 * C
 * Campbell's Circulating Library
 * Carney Hospital Library
 * Carter's Circulating Library
 * Callender's Library, School St.; also known as the Shakespeare Library; Charles Callender, H.G. Callender
 * Charlestown High School Library
 * Christ Church Library
 * Christian Unity Library
 * Church Home for Orphans Library
 * Church of the Advent Library
 * City Point Circulating Library
 * Clarendon Library, Clarendon St.
 * W.B. Clarke's circulating library
 * Columbian Circulating Library, no.43 Cornhill
 * Columbian Social Library (est.1813), Boylston Hall
 * Comer's Commercial College
 * Congregational Library & Archives, corner of Beacon and Somerset
 * Consumptives' Home Library
 * D
 * Deaf Mute Library Association
 * Democratic reading room, corner Congress St. and Congress Sq.
 * Dorchester Athenaeum Library
 * Dramatic Fund Association
 * J.H. Duclos & Bro., no.57 Warren St.
 * E
 * East Boston Library Association
 * Ministerial Library of Eliot Church
 * F
 * Caroline Fanning
 * Farrer's Circulating Library
 * First Christian Church Library
 * First Universalist Church Library
 * Frederick Fletcher, no.55 Meridian, East Boston
 * Franklin Circulating Library, no.69 Court St.
 * Franklin Typographical Society Library
 * G
 * Gate of Heaven Church Library
 * Library of the General Court
 * General Theological Library (est.1860); no.12 West St.
 * Gill's Circulating Library
 * Good Samaritan Church Library
 * Grand Lodge of Masons Library
 * Grant & Brown, no.873 Washington St.
 * Guild Library of Church of the Advent
 * H
 * Halliday's Circulating Library, West St.
 * Hancock Library, 42 Hancock; A. Boyden
 * Handel and Haydn Library
 * Harvard Chapel Library
 * Harvard Musical Library
 * Medical College of Harvard University Library
 * C.W. Holbrook's circulating library; no.88 Dover
 * Holy Trinity Church Library
 * Home for Aged Women Library
 * House of Correction Library
 * House of Industry Library
 * House of Reformation Library
 * J
 * Jamaica Plain Circulating Library
 * Joy Street Baptist Church Library
 * K
 * Keating's Circulating Library; no.1027 Washington St.
 * King's Chapel Library


 * L
 * Ladies Circulating Library, Washington St.; N. Nutting, proprietor
 * Lawrence Association Library
 * R.L. Learned's circulating library, Tremont St.
 * Lincoln School Library
 * Lindsay's Circulating Library; George W. Lindsey, Washington St.
 * Liscomb's Circulating Library
 * Loring's Circulating Library; Loring's Select Library, Washington St.; A.K. Loring
 * A.F. Low's circulating library, Meridian St.
 * Lowe's Circulating Library
 * M
 * Marine Board of Underwriters' Library
 * Mariners' Exchange reading room, no.1 Lewis
 * Mariner's House, North Square
 * Thomas Marsh's circulating library, Beach St.
 * Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
 * Massachusetts Historical Society
 * Massachusetts Horticultural Society Library
 * Massachusetts Hospital
 * Massachusetts New Church Union Library
 * Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-minded Youth
 * Massachusetts Society for Promotion of Agriculture
 * Massachusetts State Library
 * Massachusetts State Prison Library
 * Massachusetts Teachers' Association
 * Massachusetts Total Abstinence Society Library
 * Mayhew and Baker's Juvenile Circulating Library, no.208 Washington St.
 * McGrath's Circulating Library
 * Mechanic Apprentices Library Association
 * J.O. Mendum's circulating library, Tremont St.
 * Mercantile Library Association Library
 * Merchants Exchange reading room, Merchants Exchange building, State St.; "basement, Old State House"
 * Merrill's Circulating Library; C.H. Merrill, no.1575 Washington St.
 * Methodist Episcopal Church Library
 * Catherine Moore's circulating library, no.436 Washington St.
 * Mount Vernon Church Library
 * Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies
 * Munroe & Francis, juvenile library, no.4 Cornhill
 * Musical Society Library


 * N
 * New England Conservatory of Music Library
 * New England Female Medical College
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society
 * New England Hospital Library
 * New England Methodist Historical Society
 * Norcross School Library
 * North End Circulating Library, no.123 Hanover St.; Thomas Hiller Jr.
 * Notre Dame Academy Library


 * O
 * Odd Fellows' Library
 * Old Colony Chapel Library
 * Osgood's Circulating Library


 * P
 * Paine's Circulating Library
 * Samuel H. Parker's circulating library
 * H.B. Payne & Co.'s circulating library
 * Elizabeth Peabody's foreign circulating library, no.13 West St.
 * William Pelham's circulating library, no.59 Cornhill
 * Penitent Female Refuge Society Library
 * F.W. Perkins' circulating library
 * Library of Perkins Institution for the Blind
 * Pioneer Circulating Library
 * Prince Library


 * Q
 * Quinn's Circulating Library

T
 * R
 * Lydia Reed
 * Republican Institution
 * Republican Reading Room, Bromfield St.
 * E.R. Rich & Son; no.477 West Broadway
 * Roxbury Athenaeum Library
 * Roxbury High School Library
 * S
 * Sage's Circulating Library; William Sage, no.371 Tremont
 * Sailors Home Library
 * School of Technology Library
 * Second Methodist Church Library
 * W.F. & M.H. Shattuck, no.106 Main
 * Shawmut Avenue Baptist Church Library
 * Shawmut Mission Library
 * Social Law Library
 * Society to Encourage Studies at Home
 * South End Circulating Library
 * Mary Sprague's circulating library, no.9 Milk St.
 * St. Francis de Sales Church Library
 * St. Joseph Circulating Library
 * St. Mary's Young Men's Sodality Library
 * St. Stephen's Church Library
 * State Agricultural Library
 * Stoughton Street Church Library
 * Suffolk Circulating Library; corner of Court and Brattle St.; N.S. Simpkins, J. Simpkins
 * Sumner library, no.6 Winthrop block, East Boston
 * Teuthorn's Circulating Library; Julius Teuthorn, no.10 Beach
 * George Ticknor's private library, no.8 Park St.
 * Toll-Gate Circulating Library, no.665 East Broadway
 * D.A. Tompkins, no.127 Hanover St.
 * Treadwell Library, Massachusetts General Hospital
 * U
 * Union Circulating Library, no.4 Cornhill, corner of Water St.; William Blagrove
 * Union Mission Church Library
 * Unitarian Association Library
 * S.R. Urbino, foreign circulating library
 * V
 * Village Church Library
 * Vine Street Congregational Church Library
 * W
 * Walker's Circulating Library
 * J.B. Walker, no.1392 Tremont
 * Thomas O. Walker, no.68 Cornhill
 * Warren Street Chapel Library
 * Washington Circulating Library, no.38 Newbury St.
 * Washington Circulating Library, no.11 School St.
 * Washingtonian Home Library
 * West Boston Library, Cambridge St.
 * West Church Library
 * West Roxbury Free library, Centre St.
 * West Roxbury High School Library
 * Whig reading room, no.144 Washington St.
 * Winkley & Boyd's Central library
 * Workingmen's Reading Room
 * Y
 * Boston Young Men's Christian Association Library (YMCA), Tremont Temple
 * Young Men's Christian Union
 * Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), no.68 Warrenton
 * Young Men's Working Association Library
 * Z
 * Zion Church Library