Located far behind the Parliament Buildings of Bay street is a weird looking building that many will walk by with out taking a second glance. This building however has a history spanning further back than all the buildings in front of it. This is the Public Library of Nassau.
The library was built and completed some time in 1797-1800 and was originally a jail but spelt ‘gaol’ and was converted to a library in 1873. It consists of four levels. A basement, the two visible storeys where the books are located and the third above ground level where artifacts are kept and a wraparound veranda overlooking the street and parliament square.
This building was the first building built on Parliament Square which is where Parliament buildings, the court houses and the Garden of Remembrance are all located. The most obvious part of this location is that Parliament square is not really a square but a rectangle. I guess Parliament Rectangle didn’t sound to good. There is also a monument of Sir George Gamblin (first manager of RBC ) and the cenotaph a monument to Bahamians who fought in world war 1 and 2.
Admission is free so please visit when your in town.