Podcast: The Rosenberg Library: Generosity, Resilience, and Knowledge in Galveston

Have you read any good books lately? Have you learned anything new? If your answer is no, then you might want to consider heading over to the Rosenberg Library!

One of my absolute favorite things to do is to get lost in a bookstore or a library. Could spend hours flipping through pages in the history book section. You may be surprised by what this library has to offer. The Rosenberg Library was officially opened in June of 1904 as one of the many generous gifts to the city of Galveston from Mr. Henry Rosenberg. The roots of this library stem back to 1871, making it one of the oldest public libraries in Texas.

Before 1904, book-loving Galvestonians had the option to visit the Galveston Mercantile Library. Founded in 1871, this was one of the earliest public libraries in Texas. However, it wasn't completely free. Visitors to the Mercantile Library would need to pay a subscription prior to checking out a book, magazine, or newspaper.

This was a relatively common model for libraries at the time. However, the outlook of the library landscape changed in 1893 when the city received a generous bequest from the esteemed local businessman, Henry Rosenberg. Rosenberg immigrated to Galveston in 1843. e became a wealthy merchant, and he died in 1893 with no children to pass along his wealth. Rosenberg's will outlined several projects, including the establishment of a new and improved public library for the residents of Galveston.

Rosenberg said it best himself. ”In making this bequest, I desire to express in practical form my affection for the city of my adoption and for the people among whom I have lived for so many years, trusting that it will aid their intellectual and moral developments and be a source of pleasure and profit to them, and their children, and their children's children, through many generations.”

In July of 1900, the Rosenberg Library Association organized a charter granted by the state of Texas. This registered the library as a private corporation to give free library service to all Galvestonians. The planning and construction were stalled due to the deadly 1900 storm, which struck on September 8th, 1900.

As the city began to climb back to its feet, the planning for the Rosenberg Library continued. The building was designed by the architectural firm Eames & Young of St. Louis, Missouri. The three-story Italian Renaissance-style building was constructed of brick, stone, and terracotta.

In the early years, the basement level housed living quarters for a janitor and their family. However, the first head librarian, Frank Patten, and his assistants were so devoted to the success of the library that they took up residence in the basement for a short time before the library opened focusing on cataloging and organizing incoming books.

On June 22nd, 1904, a Wednesday evening and Henry Rosenberg's birthday, the new building was formally dedicated with opening celebrations held in the auditorium. Galvestonians came out in their usual style and ceremony. An orchestra played to an overflowing audience of more than 500 people. The following day, the Rosenberg Library was open to the general public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Business boomed. There were 106 library cards issued on the first day. 59 of those cards were given to children.

Just like today, library patrons could request a specific book or genre. Frequent requests included French, German, Latin, and Greek classics, and a total of 91 books were checked out. About a year after the library was opened, it acquired the collections from the Galveston Mercantile Library. This formalized its new role as the public library for the city of Galveston. It has been in the same location since 1904.

Now, in 1904, Texas practiced segregation. The island's Black residents were not allowed access to the library at first. However, head librarian Patten worked to open up services for the Black community. In 1905, ‘The Colored Branch of the Rosenberg Library’ opened and was housed at the former campus of Central High School. For over 50 years, the two library campuses remained segregated until 1958, when the Rosenberg Library was finally integrated.

The first librarian, Mr. Frank Patten, worked as head librarian for nearly 30 years until his death on January 6th, 1934. Patten worked to emphasize children's services, public lectures, and the collection of materials concerning Galveston and Texas history. His influence and legacy are still felt in the library today.

Patten once said, "A library is one of the most permanent institutions of civilized life, and to build a library properly is a slow and painstaking task. The library of yesterday was a place for the storage of books, and it had little use. Today, the library is a place of great activity….and is extending its aggressive energies in all directions."

For over a century, this library has grown into an integral part of the Galveston community by providing educational services, historical resources, and access to millions of books and publications.

The Rosenberg Library is also home to the Galveston and Texas History Center, which collects materials related to Galveston and early Texas. The collection includes business charters and records of several organizations and churches in the area, as well as 20th-century collections reflecting recent events and activities in Galveston and the upper Gulf coast.

It also houses personal manuscripts and letters from many notable locals, such as Harris Kempner, J. C. League, and Gale Borden Jr. The History Center is also home to a collection of maps and charts of Galveston Island and the greater Gulf Coast region, dating from the 16th century to the present. For military history buffs, this collection contains artifacts from multiple battles that have taken place in Galveston. In 1971, The library was expanded with the addition of the Moody Memorial Wing, which doubled the floor space and provided areas for a children's library and museum galleries.

While walking around outside the Rosenberg Library, be sure to check out one of the Rosenberg Fountains on the north side of the building. This fountain was part of the series of gifts Henry Rosenberg left to Galvestonians. Don't forget to check out the statue of Henry Rosenberg himself in front of the library's east entrance.

Enjoy access to the books, artifacts, and history the Rosenberg Library offers. To bring in one last quote from the 1904 Opening Ceremony, " My friends, we stand upon hallowed ground, doubly hallowed as the temple of literature, art, and science, and by exalted altruism, embracing within its sphere the people of the city for all time. Good and noble deed never dies. It is the essence of the divine.