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Timeline

Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
1904/00/00 Charles Follen McKim Architect Charles Follen McKim designs a three-story library building the Italian Renaissance Palazzo for 135th Street in New York City.
1905/07/14 Carnegie Corporation Benefactor New York City's 135th Street branch library opens with 10,000 books and the librarian in charge is Gertrude Cohen.
1920/00/00 Ernestine Rose becomes the branch librarian. She quickly integrates the all-white library staff. Catherine Allen Latimer, the first Black librarian hired by the NYPL, is sent to work with Rose as is Roberta Bosely months later.
1921/00/00 135th Street branch library host an exhibition of African-American art in Harlem. It will become an annual event.
1921/09/05 Langston Hughes Visitor At the Harlem Branch Library just up the street. There, a warm and wonderful librarian, Miss Ernestine Roe, white, made new comers feel welcome, as did her assistant in charge of the Schomburg Collection, Catherine Latimer, a luscious cafe au lait. - LH
1922/00/00 Nella Larsen Work Nella Larsen begins working NYC's 135th Street branch library as an assistant. She will be promoted to children's librarian in 1924.
1923/00/00 Regina M Anderson begins her job as a full-time clerk in the 135th Street library.
1924/00/00 James Weldon Johnson Attendee In late 1924, Ernestine Rose host a meeting, with attendees including Arturo Schomburg, James Johnson, Hubert Harrison, that decides to focus on preserving rare books, and solicit donations to enhance its African-American collection.
1925/05/08 135th Street branch becomes the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints, a division of the NYPL.
1926/00/00 Carnegie Corporation Benefactor Ernestine Rose and the National Urban League convince the Carnegie Foundation to buy Arturo Schomburg's collection of African-American literature for $10,000 and then donate the books to the library.
1929/00/00 Arturo A Schomburg becomes the curator of his collection of literature on art, slave narratives, and other materials of African and American history.
1929/00/00 W E B Du Bois Champion After letters of support for Regina Anderson, when she felt she is being discriminated against by not being promoted, by W E B Du Bois and Walter White, and a boycott of the library by White, Regina is promoted and moves to the Rivington Street branch.
1929/00/00 Walter F White Champion After letters of support for Regina Anderson, when she felt she is being discriminated against by not being promoted, by W E B Du Bois and Walter White, and a boycott of the library by White, Regina is promoted and moves to the Rivington Street branch.
1940/10/00 Lawrence D Reddick Work Under Dr Lawrence D Reddick, curator of the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, the 'Division of Negro History, Literature and Prints' is renamed the 'Schomburg Collection of Negro History and Literature'.
1967/05/22 Langston Hughes Died Langston Hughes dies in the Stuyvesant Polyclinic in New York City from complications after abdominal surgery related to prostate cancer. His ashes are interred beneath a floor medallion in the foyer of the new Schomburg Center building.
1980/00/00 The new Schomburg Center building is constructed at 515 Lenox Avenue.

Data »

Particulars for Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture:
Cultural Affiliation Black American
Sight Category Building
Area of Significance Education
Criteria Historic Event
Historic Use Library
Level of Significance National
Architectural Style Renaissance Revival



US National Registry of Historic Places Data »

Accurate at time of registration: 21st September 1978

PLACE DETAILS
Registry Name: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Registry Address: 103 W. 135th St.
Registry Number: 78001881
Resource Type: Building
Owner: Local
Architect: McKim,Mead and White
Architectural Style: Renaissance
Contributing Buildings: 1
Certification: Listed in the National Register
CULTURAL DETAILS
Level of Significance: National
Area of Significance: Black, Education
Applicable Criteria: Event
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Significant Year: 1905
Historic Function: Education
Historic Sub-Function: Library
Current Function: Recreation and Culture, Education
Current Sub-Function: Museum Library

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