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Wolverhampton's Architectural Heritage Central Library
Central
Library, Snow Hill, Wolverhampton, junction of Garrick Street Wolverhampton's first public library had been established in 1869 after the passing of the Public Libraries Act and was situated in the Old Athenaeum in Queen Street.
Extracts from The Illustrated Midland News 16th October 1869 The library became very popular and in 1872 the Town Council moved it to larger premises in Garrick Street. By 1896 over 1,000 people a day were using the library.
Free Library, Garrick Street, Wolverhampton c 1900 (Z1/E/2) Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee of 1897 led to the building of a new free library. A committee was set up to raise money for the building. The Diamond Jubilee Fund, as it became known, eventually raised £9,000. A competition was held for the design of the new library. The conditions for the building included a cost limitation of £10,000 with some form of reference to the Diamond Jubilee included in the design. The winner of the competition was Henry Hare. The Council decided to build the new library on the site of what was previously the Old Theatre Royal on the corner of Garrick Street and Cleveland Road, land that had been purchased in 1897. The theatre was demolished and the building materials sold; the money raised from this sale was added to the Jubilee Fund. The foundation stone was laid on 23rd July 1900 by HRH Duke of York, (later King George V) to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. The building was officially opened in 1902.
Royal Visit of Duke and Duchess of York 1900 (V1/YOR/19) The Central Library is built of red brick with yellow terra cotta facades. The windows on the Garrick Street side of the building have panels above them bearing the names of Chaucer, Dryden, Pope, Shelley, Byron and Spencer. The windows facing Cleveland Road bear the names of Shakespeare and Milton.
Reference Library and Museum 1902 (Z2/REF/2) (Z2/MUS/1) In 1936 due
to increased use of the library by the public an extension to the
building was added.
© Copyright. Wolverhampton City Council, 2002
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