The Karpeles Manuscript Library in Jacksonville

It has closed.  After 30 years in Jacksonville, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum clicked the lock and will no longer service the Jacksonville area.  Karpeles manuscript library was begun by David Karpeles’.  He had a love for old documents and began a collection which ended up being placed in about a dozen libraries in the United States. 

Jacksonville’s library was housed in the old 1921 building built by Marsh and Saxelbye once was used for First Church of Christ in Springfield. David Karpeles died in January of 2022. The Jacksonville location closed in January of 2023 as will others around the country while Karpeles’ daughter, Cheryl Alleman, and her brother, Mark Karpeles downsize and reorganize. It has been reported they will go from 15 manuscript libraries to 10 over time.

For thirty years, Jacksonvillians and guests could visit and find rare and authentic documents such as the first printing of the Ten Commandments from the Gutenberg Bible (c 1455), the famous E=MC2 formula by Einstein, the original manuscript of Roget’s Thesaurus, the sheet music of the Wedding March, Abraham Lincoln’s signature of 1861, the Apollo Translunar trajectory plotting America’s space flight and more. Through the years manuscripts were transferred from one library to another rotating the authentic pieces so many could view them in glass cases.

The library opened in Jacksonville in 1992 and closed its doors here in January of 2023.  I am told there is a small library nearby that can be visited.  It is being touted as “the smallest walk-in-museum in the United States” and is located in the Nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine.

You should check it out. I’m going to….

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Location:

St Augustine location for Karpeles Mini Museum-

St George’s Row- Unit L

106 St. George St.

St Augustine, Fl 32084

9:am-10:00 pm daily

FREE

Old location of the Jacksonville Karpeles-101 West 1st Street ( formerly 1116 North Laura Street)