Branch History
Bushwick Library opened in the rented first floor of a church at Montrose Avenue and Humboldt Street in 1903 before moving to its present location on Bushwick Avenue in 1908.
Bushwick is Anglicized from the Dutch boswijck, meaning “town of the woods.” Bushwick Avenue is one of the oldest New York roads, dating from the earliest days of the Dutch settlement. Today it serves as the boundary between Bushwick and Williamsburg, neighborhoods that have changed rapidly in recent years but continue to rely on the free services provided at their local libraries.
Bushwick Library is within easy walk of many interesting destinations, including Moore Street Market, one of Brooklyn’s oldest indoor markets. There are two Citi Bike stations located near the branch.
Did you know?
Bushwick’s most famous resident might be Francie Nolan, the precocious heroine and library-lover of Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Other neighborhood noteworthies include Eddie Murphy, Rosie Perez, Harry Nilsson and many others.