History of the Rosenberg Library
Rosenberg Library has offered over a hundred years of community service to the Galveston area. The building was dedicated on June 22, 1904, the birthday of its patron, Henry Rosenberg. The Moody Memorial Wing opened in 1971, more than doubling the library’s floor and allowing for a children’s library, a history center, several galleries to showcase museum collections, and a computer lab.
Photo Compliments Jerri Sutherland. Henry Rosenberg. Library Opened June 22, 1904.
The Rosenberg Library is the successor to the Galveston Mercantile Library, which was founded in 1871 and is the oldest public library in Texas in continuous operation. With funding provided through a bequest from Henry Rosenberg, the Rosenberg Library Association was organized pursuant to a charter granted by the State of Texas on July 10, 1900, as a private corporation to give free library service to all Galvestonians. Since its incorporation the institution has been governed by a board of twenty trustees. The trustees meet annually to elect a nine-member board of directors.
Rosenberg Library officially opened for inspection June 22, 1904, Henry Rosenberg’s birthday and the library opened to the public the following day. A year later the library absorbed the collections of the Galveston Public Library. This formalized the library’s new role as public library for the City of Galveston.
The Galveston & Texas History Center
The Galveston & Texas History Center collects, preserves, and organizes archival materials that document the history of Galveston and Texas. The Center focuses on Galveston from the city’s incorporation in 1839 through the present. Their collection also relates to Texas from the Spanish period to the end of the Civil War. The tragic Great Storm of 1900 exhibit that hit Galveston on September 8, 1900 is on the 4th floor in the Harris Gallery. This exhibit is available from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday – Saturday. Admission is free. he link to the Galveston & Texas History Center is Explore Galveston’s History | Galveston & Texas History Center (galvestonhistorycenter.org).
Hurricane Ike
On September 13, 2008, the Rosenberg Library was inundated with floodwaters during Hurricane Ike. Fortunately, the building did not sustain any structural damage, as an extensive repair project on the exterior had just been completed in July. The library received a Galveston Historical Foundation Sally B. Wallace Preservation Award for the project.
Additional Renovations
Immediately following the Hurricane Ike, the library underwent various renovations to its operational systems. Systems vulnerable to flood damage. This was followed by new, more energy-efficient, interior lighting and some needed flooring on the third and fourth floors of the Moody Wing. In the summer of 2010, further restoration of the building’s interior was undertaken to return the Rosenberg Wing to its original style and beauty.
Library Location/Hours/Phone
Checkout the Rosenberg Library at 2310 Sealy St., Galveston, TX 77550 to learn more about the history of the first inhabitants to Galveston, the Karankawa Indians, early Spanish explorer, Cabeza De Vaca, world-wide immigrants, and settlers. The library is open Monday – Saturday, 9am -6pm with Tuesday – Thursday, 9am-8 pm. Library is closed on Sunday. General info phone # 409-763-8854. The Rosenberg library website is Rosenberg Library (rosenberg-library.org).
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