George Peabody Library

George Peabody Library

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

1866: Construction begins.
1878: Building is opened to the public.

Patron: George Peabody
Architect: Edmund G. Lind

Neo-Greek

39.29770102311102, -76.61510449176022

Granite, limestone, wood

Marble, cast iron, copper, glass

Height: 61 ft.

Public

The George Peabody Library is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and is part of the Johns Hopkins University campus. The Neo-Greek structure stands five floors high. The exterior of the building is primarily composed of granite and limestone, which has been weathered over the last 147 years by Maryland’s subtropical climate. Some areas of the exterior stone and roof are lightly coated with moss and dirt. At the building’s entrance, one will find a large, arched wooden door flanked by Doric columns. A stone inscription that reads “Peabody Institute” is carved into the balcony that hangs above the main entranceway. Two levels of narrow arched and rectangular glass windows also cover the exterior of the building. The most striking feature of the interior of the building is its five floors of cast iron balconies filled with 300,000 volumes. A massive glass skylight at the center of the atrium illuminates the space in the daytime. Both the columns supporting the balconies and the balconies themselves are embellished with gold leaf. Alternating slabs of black and white marble, nearly resembling city blocks when viewed from above, comprise the floor of the atrium.

Image 1: https://flic.kr/p/2hzyGwP

Image 2: https://flic.kr/p/2hzvYoM

Image 1: Fildes, Craig. "George Peabody Library". 24 Oct 2019. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2hzyGwP.

Image 2: Fildes, Craig. "George Peabody Library". 24 Oct 2019. Flickr. ttps://flic.kr/p/2hzvYoM.

Brittany Lumanlan Martin

https://www.library.jhu.edu/library-hours/george-peabody-library/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Peabody_Library