Boston Public Library - first large free municipal library

The Boston Public Library, established in 1848 and housed in the McKim Building at 700 Boylston Street, is often cited as the first large free municipal library in the United States. The McKim Building, opened in 1895, contains notable mural cycles by artists such as John Singer Sargent and Edwin Austin Abbey. The library's founding and its architectural prominence have made it a focal point of Boston's cultural and civic lore.