Gould Memorial Library

Gould Memorial Library
General information
Type	Event space, former library
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Address	1930 Sedgwick Avenue
Town or city	The Bronx, New York City
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°51′31.5″N 73°54′50.3″W / 40.858750°N 73.913972°W / 40.858750; -73.913972
Current tenants	Bronx Community College
Named for	Jay Gould
Groundbreaking	October 19, 1895
Completed	1900
Closed	1973 (as library)
Client	New York University
Owner	City University of New York
Technical details
Structural system	Steel superstructure
Material	Brick and limestone facade
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Stanford White
Other information
Public transit access	Subway: 4 train at Burnside Avenue Metro-North: Hudson Line at University Heights
Website
www.bcc.cuny.edu/about-bcc/history-architecture/gould-memorial-library/
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	September 7, 1979
Reference no.	79001567[1]
Designated entity	Hall of Fame Complex
New York City Landmark
Designated	February 15, 1966[2]
Reference no.	0112[2]
Designated entity	Facade
New York City Landmark
Designated	August 11, 1981[3]
Reference no.	1087[3]
Designated entity	Interior

The Gould Memorial Library (GML; also nicknamed Gould) is a building on the campus of Bronx Community College (BCC), an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), in University Heights, Bronx, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Stanford White of the firm McKim, Mead & White. Constructed between 1895 and 1900 as the central library of New York University (NYU)'s Bronx campus, it was part of the New York University Libraries system. The library is named after railroad magnate Jay Gould, whose daughter Helen Miller Shepard funded the project in his memory. Gould is no longer used as a library, instead serving primarily as an event space. Gould's facade and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gould is arranged in the shape of a Greek cross and is surrounded by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans to its west. The library's main entrance is on the east side, where there is a portico with a Corinthian-style colonnade. The copper dome contains an ornamental frieze as well as an oculus at its center. Inside the entrance vestibule, a barrel-vaulted stair hall leads up to offices and a circular reading room. The ornately designed reading room contains two colonnades flanking two balcony levels; multiple Tiffany glass windows; a balustrade with sixteen statues; and a coffered ceiling. Originally, the reading room was surrounded by three levels of stacks and 18 seminar rooms. Under the library was a 600-seat auditorium.

New York University's Bronx campus was developed in the 1890s. Construction on the library started in 1895 after Shepard anonymously donated $200,000. During the 20th century, NYU used the library for commencement ceremonies and other events. The university installed numerous busts of artists inside the library during the 1920s and 1930s. NYU built additional campus libraries in the 1950s due to a lack of space at Gould, and the auditorium was rebuilt after an arson attack in 1969. After NYU sold its Bronx campus to CUNY in 1973, the Gould Library was converted into an event space, and the library fell into disrepair. The auditorium was restored in 2000, and the library was further refurbished in the early 21st century.