Old Dallas Central Library

Old Dallas Central Library
Old Dallas Central Library in 2007
Former names	Dallas Public Library
General information
Type	civic
Architectural style	Mid-Century modern
Address	1954 Commerce Street Dallas, Texas
Coordinates	32°46′50″N 96°47′39″W / 32.780589°N 96.794151°W / 32.780589; -96.794151Coordinates: 32°46′50″N 96°47′39″W / 32.780589°N 96.794151°W / 32.780589; -96.794151
Completed	1955
Cost	$2,500,000
Technical details
Floor count	4 above + 2 below
Floor area	120,000 square feet
Design and construction
Architect	George Dahl

The former Dallas Public Library, now known as Old Dallas Central Library, is a multi-level civic structure located at 1954 Commerce Street in downtown Dallas, Texas (USA). It is located on the edge of the Farmers Market District and adjacent to Main Street Garden Park. It is a contributing property in the Harwood Historic District and, along with the adjacent Dallas Statler Hilton, represents the best block of mid-twentieth-century architecture in Dallas. It was formerly a part of Dallas Public Library.

The Dallas Public Library was designed by noted architect George Dahl as the replacement for the 1901 Carnegie Library located on the same site. While Carnegie Library was being razed and the new library constructed, the Dallas Public Library moved their collections to Union Station temporarily.

The library opened in September 1955 capable of holding 800,000 volumes but only containing 300,000 books. It contained 120,000 square feet (11,000 m²) on 4 above ground levels and 2 below ground levels, with provisions for 2 additional floors in the future. The auditorium in the second basement seated 250 people and a terrace allowed for a rooftop garden.

The Dallas Public Library moved their collection to the larger J. Erik Jonsson Central Library upon completion of that building in 1982. The building was sold to an investment company which also owns the adjacent Dallas Statler Hilton, but the building has remained vacant since the library's departure.