More than a building for books

Rochester’s Rundel Library is one of those grand buildings that many people living in this city have seen or driven past, but may have never actually set foot inside it.  While nothing short of an in-person visit can do it justice, the Rochester Public Library has released a new video that provides a taste of Rundel’s many unique architectural features.

The building was dedicated in October, 1936, and ever since has served as the city’s (and now the county’s) central library.  Construction of the library was made possible after Rochesterian Morton Rundel bequeathed $400,000 to the city.  While the building contains three main floors, a basement, and a sub-basement, perhaps one of its most interesting features is the foundation it sits on.  Because it’s built over the former Rochester subway bed, and a race that once powered the city’s mills, a series of columns support the structure above.

Inside, the Rundel Library is more than just a building for books.  It is an impressive space that inspires learning, thinking, and wisdom – living up to the inscription over the entrance that reads “Books minister to man in his search for the enlightenment that reveals the meaning of life,” a phrase penned by former Rochester Public Library Director John Abrams Lowe.