Hamilton Branch Library

History of the Hamilton Branch

The Hamilton Branch first opened its doors in 1920 on the corner of Hamilton and Richmond Ave.  The land was donated by the Hamilton Improvement Association and the building was a gift from Andrew Carnegie.  It was one of the streetcar stops that led out of the city into the farm community.  World War II brought a housing boom to the neighborhood and with it more patrons for the branch.  By 1950 the branch was too small and no longer met the needs and demands of this growing population.  In 1959 a new and larger buiding was opened on Harford Road and Glenmore, designed by architects Cochran, Stephenson and Wing.  The building, with its spacious interior and large paned windows, is reflective of the new modern designs that highlighted this time period in Baltimore history.