Original Croton Reservoir & Library Shop

Narrator: Glass doors lead into the Library Shop and Café. As you enter, you’ll cross a short marble bridge bordered on both sides by waist-high glass with metal handrails. On either side of this passage, rectangular cutaways in the marble floor reveal the original foundation wall of the Croton Reservoir. Irregular gray stones form rough layers.

Above you, second and third floor balconies overlook the bridge, and light filters in through a ceiling skylight. Along the marble walls are arches with relief sculptures. Interestingly, this space was once an open-air courtyard.

Beyond the short bridge, the library shop sells books and other literary souvenirs. Bookshelves, freestanding tables, and glass cabinets showcase the items. A wooden floor with a geometric pattern contrasts the surrounding marble.

Located adjacent to the shop, The Library Café by Amy’s Bread sells coffee, pastries, salads, and sandwiches. Patrons can sit and enjoy their refreshments at long tables with white tops.

Upon exiting the Shop and café, to the right is a smaller room for rotating exhibitions called Wachenheim Gallery.

To the left, and beyond a niche with a bust of the Roman emperor Titus, is the entrance to Gottesman Hall, which features the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures. A marble doorway frames the glass double doors leading into the hall.

Inside the exhibit, wide support pillars with arched openings, columns capped by spiral scrolls, the floor, and the walls are made of gray and white marble, giving the space a classical ambiance. The ceiling is oak with detailed carvings of winged angels, satyr masks (bearded faces with pointed ears), and fruit garlands. Books, manuscripts, artworks, and  other items are displayed in glass cases.

Interpretive commentary follows.

Alison Stewart: Over the more than one hundred years since it opened, this library has undergone several changes. For example, this area called South Court, now home to the expanded Library Shop and Café as well as Library offices above, was once an open-air courtyard.

And if you look down as you cross the bridge, you can get a glimpse of what was here before this building was constructed. Keith Glutting manages the Library’s visitor information program and is an expert on the history of the Library.

Keith Glutting: When the South Court Building was constructed in 2002, they decided that they would expose and celebrate the foundation and the history of this spot, of the history of the building.

You can see a wall made of the rocks of the Croton Reservoir. We’re using the foundation of the old reservoir as the foundation for this incredible building which is often referred to as a reservoir of knowledge.

Alison Stewart: Completed in 1842, the above-ground Croton Reservoir provided access to water for New York City’s exploding population. But the city quickly outgrew the reservoir, and a new system was implemented. That left the reservoir site open for the library project.

There are more artifacts related to the Croton Reservoir next door in Gottesman Hall, home to the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures. The exhibit features a selection of significant items from the Library’s research collections. Items periodically rotate, but visitors may find on display extraordinary objects such as a Gutenberg Bible, an original copy of the Declaration of Independence written in Thomas Jefferson’s hand, and the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals. You can explore the exhibition and listen to the accompanying audio guide to learn more about the fascinating items on view.