Central Library is a notable public library located in a historic building that also houses the Grundy Art Gallery. The building is Grade II listed, recognizing its historical significance. The site was chosen in 1908 on Queen Street, with funding from artists Cuthbert and John Grundy from Bury. Construction began in 1909 and was completed in 1911, with the design by the Scottish firm Cullen, Lochhead and Brown.
After a major renovation costing £3 million, the library reopened on 26 September 2011, just in time to celebrate its 100th anniversary a month later.
The building features an Edwardian Baroque style with two floors of red brick and stone details. The library occupies the corner of the building, with decorative stone pylons on the west and south walls. The entrance is grand, with six Ionic columns and a large window above the door, and a frieze that reads ‘Central Public Library.’ It also has an octagonal dome with a finial shaped like an urn on top.
On 20 October 1983, Historic England listed the building as Grade II, recognizing its national importance. For its centenary, the library added eight new stained glass windows designed by Nick Robertson and made by Rainbow Glass Studios in London.
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