Mirror Lake Library

Mirror Lake Library is a public library building in St. Petersburg featuring Beaux-Arts design with sculptural details, decorative supports, and pronounced cornices along its facade. The structure serves as a branch of the municipal library system and contains reading areas, computer facilities, and community spaces.

Steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie funded the building with a grant in 1913, and it opened to the public in 1915 as a new institution for the young city. The library was one of ten Carnegie-funded buildings established in Florida during the early decades of the 20th century.

The library takes its name from the nearby lake and became a gathering place for the community to learn and connect. It served as a symbol of St. Petersburg's transition from a frontier settlement to an established city.

The building is located on Fifth Street North and is easy to find with a street address. Visitors should plan their visit according to the times when the library is open and offers its services and programs to the public.

The building is part of a distinct network of ten Carnegie libraries in Florida all constructed between 1901 and 1917 with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This collection of structures represents an important chapter in how public libraries expanded across America in the early 20th century.

Location: St. Petersburg

Location: Florida

Official opening: 1915

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts

Part of: St. Petersburg Library System

Address: 280 5th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Phone: +17278937268

Website: http://splibraries.org/mirror_library.html

GPS coordinates: 27.77472,-82.64028

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:41