Our Buildings
2521 St. Paul: This beautiful Victorian brick building in which the Village Learning Place library is housed was one of the original six branches of Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, commissioned by Enoch Pratt and built in 1896. It is now a physical embodiment of community endeavor and neighborhood pride.
The Pratt Library closed this former branch in 1997. Our neighbors rallied, restored the building with volunteer hours, and created the Village Learning Place to fill the neighborhood’s need for accessible resources of all kinds. Ever since, the Village Learning Place has responded to the needs of the community, and its staff and board members are attuned to the changing requirements of all patrons. Various resources and programming are offered daily (Mon-Sun 9 a.m.-7 p.m.) in this community space.
2510 St. Paul: In 2015 The Village Learning Place opened its doors on the second floor of 2510 St. Paul Street, directly across the street from the library. The space houses permanent classrooms for the Let's Invest in Neighborhood Kids (LINK) after school and summer programs, community rental space, a reading resource room, and additional staff office space.
Garden
Once a run-down parking lot, our beautiful community garden is now a great resource and refuge. Renovating the community garden was not an easy task, but the final results show that all the hard work was worth it.
The finished garden is a beacon of nature and tranquility. The garden is always open to the community during library hours, so visitors can tour the garden, bring in lunch, cut herbs from our raised bed, or just sit and reflect. Many of our cultural and educational programs, including 2nd Wednesdays are held in the garden when weather permits.
The youth garden along the south wall helps to further the VLP mission of promoting lifelong learning. The garden raises students' awareness about plants, food, and life cycles, helps them connect with their global environment.