North End Branch Library

History:

Originally established at 3A North Bennett Street in 1913, the North End Branch was relocated to its present site in May 1965. The building was designed by Carl Koch and Associates and was constructed by Peabody Construction Company. The building is a simple, one-story structure modeled after a Roman "villa".  A courtyard, located in the center of the building, is complemented with plants and a small pool. The building's exterior is of red brick, and a wrought-iron fence marks the perimeter. One of the outstanding features of the building is a scale model of the Ducal Palace in Venice. Largely constructed by Henrietta Macy before her death and completed by Louise Stimson of Concord, Massachusetts, the diorama was donated to the Boston Public Library by Nina C. Mitchell of Sheperdstown, West Virginia. The North End Branch also boasts a white marble bas-relief of Dante Alighieri, which was donated to the Central Library in 1913 and later removed to the Branch.