In 1890, Hamilton opened the first new building to house a public library in Canada. It was replaced in 1913 when the city leveraged a grant by Andrew Carnegie’s foundation to construct this main library. The philanthropist funded 125 Canadian libraries from 1903 through 1922. This structure by architect Alfred W. Peene served as the central public library until 1980 when new facilities opened on York Boulevard. After an extensive refurbishment, the former library reopened in 1989 as the Unified Family Court, a part of the Superior Court of Justice.
