It’s Day 174 of “365 Things to do in Cincinnati” and today we are featuring the Mercantile Library.
Step into the doors at this non-profit membership library and you’ll feel as though you just entered Hogwarts! Rich woods, wrought iron accents, paintings and busts adorn the entire place. If you’re looking for a downtown spot to enjoy a great book, the Mercantile Library is the place to go!
This library was organized by local merchants and clerks who wanted to give our city’s residents a place to read newspapers, books and magazines. Organized in 1835, the Mercantile Library is the oldest library in Ohio.
The library has a general collection of 18,000 books. They have a number of books that date back to the 1800’s, when the library was formed. The Mercantile Library has been collecting since 1835.
Below you will see the original “easels” used to allow patrons to read the newspapers from around the country.
Today the library consists of the reading room, bi-level stacks (see top picture) and the 12th floor lecture room (seen below).
In the 1840’s, members of the Mercatile Library started a lecture series. The library hosted lectures from many prominent citizens of their day including Herman Melville and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
The Mercantile Library continues to offer lectures and they also feature a “Noon Music” event on occasion. You can check out their events calendar by clicking here.
The Mercantile is a membership library. Anyone can become a member and there are no residency restrictions. Membership information can be found here.
The Mercantile Library is located downtown at 414 Walnut Street
just wondering about the haunted newport/looks like it could be fun and interesting at the same time!
Hogwarts??? There is nary an owl to be seen, although some of the portraits might talk to you if you know the right things to say.