Chestnut Hill Library

Wednesday, February 26 – Message from Staff

 

You can now sign-up for the Chestnut Hill Library Newsletter online! Keep up to date on all the events happening at our branch, alongside learning about highlights from our collection! Sign-up HERE to subscribe.

 

8711 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118-2716
Germantown Ave. & Bethlehem Pike
Closed Today
Sunday, 6/29 Closed
Monday, 6/30 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 7/1 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 7/2 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, 7/3 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, 7/4 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed *
Saturday, 7/5 Closed
  • * Friday had hour changes – Independence Day
Sunday Closed
Monday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Closed

Upcoming Closures

  • Fri., Jul. 4 : Closed Independence Day
  • Mon., Sep. 1 : Closed Labor Day
  • Thu., Sep. 11 : Opening at 1:00 PM due to staff development
  • Mon., Oct. 13 : Closed Indigenous Peoples' Day
View all holiday closings

Facilities

  • Baby changing station
  • Bicycle rack
  • Book drop box
  • Computers for public use
  • Electrical outlets available
  • Photocopier (black/white)
  • Printing (black/white)
  • Public restrooms
  • Street parking (metered)
  • Water fountain
  • Wireless internet access (wi/fi)

Upcoming Events

Scandinavian Art Exploration! With the American Swedish Historical Museum

Tue, July 1, 2025 5:30 P.M.

Art is all around us - especially at the American Swedish Historical Museum! They will bring some of their Museum to the library and will teach us about Scandinavian artists and folk-art styles. Kids will have a chance to try out printmaking, papercrafts, and other Scandinavian…

Celebrate Independence Day withThe Geography Lady, Alycia Larson

Thu, July 3, 2025 10:30 A.M.

People from around the world have moved to the United States and made it their home. Learn how different culturs have shaped America, and how other countries celebrate their own independence days. For young children and their families.  

Block Party!

Tue, July 8, 2025 5:30 P.M.

Join us for some free play with good, old fashioned wooden blocks. We will also create structures from cardboard boxes and tape! For preschooler through school age children, along with their families and caregivers.   5:30 - 6:45 p.m.

Music with Ms. Molly!

Thu, July 10, 2025 10:30 A.M.

Ms. Molly's music sessions are based on music appreciation, learning rhythms, incorporating elements of early childhood education into music, and are most of all, fun!  Classes are themed around various children's interests found in music. This summer we'll be singing about…

About

Located a half-block north of Bethlehem Pike in the middle of a lovely garden, the library is just beyond the end of the 23 route. facebook.com/FLPChestnutHill/

History

The first inhabitants of the Chestnut Hill area were the Delaware Indians. One of their leaders, Chief Tedyuscung, is immortalized in a statue in nearby Fairmount Park overlooking Wissahickon Creek. The Indians sold this section of their territory to William Penn on July 14, 1683.

The area's first white settlers were religious dissenters from Holland who were attracted to Penns Woods by the tolerance of its gentle leader. The name Chestnut Hill first appeared in a deed of 1711. Although there were no more Chestnut trees on the hill than anywhere else, the now almost extinct trees gave the town its name.

To serve the schools and the community, philanthropist Henry Williams built the Christian Hall Library in 1872 at 8711 Germantown Avenue. Williams named the library Christian Hall because he did not wish anything to go on in the two-story building and subsequent annex that would be inconsistent with the word "Christian." Singing, elocution classes, magic lantern shows, art lectures, church fairs and temperance meetings were permitted.

At first the library was only a reading room, and books were issued only to subscribers. But after 1876, Mr. Williams was persuaded to allow anyone to take books without charge. In 1897, the trustees of the Christian Hall Library decided that the library would be of greater benefit to the community as a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and so they granted the grounds to the city.

A new library building was built in 1907, funded by Andrew Carnegie and on the same site as the Christian Hall Library. In 1991, a modern meeting room addition was added. The library was renovated in 1999 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every branch. Active support is provided by the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library, founded in the 1970s.