Ben West Library

The first public library in Nashville was established in 1871. It was operated by the Library Association, which merged with the YMCA in 1875. In 1897, the state legislature passed the Library Law, and the local government opened the Howard Library in 1899. Andrew Carnegie donated $100,000 to Nashville as part of his philanthropic efforts to establish public libraries throughout the United States. Land for Nashville’s library, on Eighth Avenue, was donated to the city and the cornerstone was laid in April 1903. The Carnegie Main Library opened in 1904 and served as the central branch of the library system until 1963, when construction began on this new mid-century modern building. It opened on January 16, 1966 and was re-named in honor of the last mayor of the City of Nashville, Ben West, on June 5, 1977. Central operations stayed here at the Ben West Library until 2001 when the new downtown library opened. 

In 2017, Metro sold the building to Hastings Architecture, who began an extensive rehabilitation project on the building. Many of the mid-century modern details of the building were retained, including the marble exterior and the floor-to-ceilings windows on each side of the first floor. The drive-up book drop is even still visible from the garage level! While Nashvillians love the new library and its amenities—more on that at the next stop—many who grew up here have fond memories of the Ben West building, from the dark paneling in the reading rooms to the children’s theater on the second floor, complete with a tiny house for the resident mouse Buttercup. Buttercup and her home moved to the new library building with the rest of the library in 2001, and you can visit her when we stop there next. 

Continue walking south down Polk Avenue. Turn LEFT on Church Street, passing the Doctor’s Building and Bennie-Dillon Building on your left. Cross Anne Dallas Dudley Boulevard and the public library will be on your right.