Jefferson Market Library (former courthouse and jail)

The Jefferson Market Courthouse building at 425 Avenue of the Americas was constructed in the 1870s, later housed a women's prison, and was converted to the Jefferson Market Library (a New York Public Library branch) in the 1960s. Because of its history as a courthouse and jail, the building has long been included in local ghost-tour narratives and folklore about hauntings, which are documented in tour literature and popular accounts. The architectural landmark is also noted for its distinctive Victorian Gothic design and community preservation history.