National Register Listing

Rosenberg Library

2310 Sealy St., Galveston, TX

Rosenberg Library has served as the Galveston public library since its dedication on June 22, 1904. Henry Rosenberg, the Swiss-born banker and merchant, gave the funds for what was the first major public library in Texas. Architects were William S. Eames and Thomas C. Young of St. Louis, also architects of the San Francisco U.S. Customs House. In May 1901, the Directors of the Rosenberg Library Association purchased the site; the cornerstone was laid on October 18, 1902. On August 22, 1971, the Moody Memorial Wing was dedicated. As a public institution, the library is of major importance in Galveston. Architecturally, the original building is unique among early Galveston buildings and is the most intact public building representing the early twentieth century. The archival collection of the library is of importance locally and state-wide.

Local significance of the building:
Community Planning And Development; Architecture

Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.