Boston Athenaeum

The Boston Athenaeum is a distinctive, five-story building on Beacon Street, identifiable by its ornate, mid-nineteenth-century facade and the rows of windows overlooking the historic Granary Burying Ground. Founded in eighteen oh seven by members of the Anthology Society, this independent membership library began as a reading room for intellectuals who pooled their resources to create a sanctuary for learning. It remains one of the oldest private libraries in the United States, designed by Edward Clarke Cabot and completed in eighteen forty-nine to house a vast collection of books and fine art.