Port Elizabeth Main Library
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| Port Elizabeth Main Library | |
|---|---|
 Port Elizabeth Main Library in 2012 | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| General information | |
| Location | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
| Coordinates | 33°57′43.26″S 25°37′21.87″E / 33.9620167°S 25.6227417°E |
Port Elizabeth Main Library is a historic building located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The origins of the library date back to 1844, when a small reading society called the Port Elizabeth News Society was founded, initially housed in a rented room above a shop in Jetty Street. In 1845, the society moved into the building known as the Commercial Hall, located on the site where the present library now stands. In 1848, a public assembly led to the establishment of a subscription library, funded by public donations, guaranteed annual income, and a state contribution. With these resources, the society acquired ownership of the Commercial Hall. In 1854, the building was leased to the government and converted into a courthouse. Meanwhile, the library moved to several different locations before returning in 31 July 1902, when the current building was officially inaugurated on the site of the old Commercial Hall.[1]
In the 1960s, plans were made to demolish the building to make way for a new administrative block, but the project was never carried out and, in 1983, the library was declared a historical monument.[1]
Description
The building is located at the north-western corner of Market Square in the centre of Port Elizabeth.[1]
The structure is regarded as an excellent example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, with a terracotta façade produced in England. In front of the library stands a Sicilian marble statue of Queen Victoria, unveiled in 1903, which dominates the surrounding square.[1]
