American Philosophical Society Library

Library Hall, completed in 1959, is the American Philosophical Society’s purpose‑built library and archival building, designed as a modern reconstruction of the original 18th‑century Library Company of Philadelphia structure that once occupied the site. Created to house the Society’s rapidly expanding collections, the building now preserves more than 13 million manuscripts, along with rare books, maps, and scientific materials associated with figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Willson Peale. Standing on 5th Street opposite Philosophical Hall, Library Hall anchors the APS campus within Independence National Historical Park and remains a major research center for early American history, science, and culture.