the yonkers public library was chartered by the state of new york on february 9, 1893. having been formed in 1883 by the consolidation of five public school libraries, the library called various sites home between the years 1883 and 1904. yonkers mayor leslie sutherland, joined by writer john kendrick bangs and educator charles e. gorton, formed a committee in 1900 to request funds from andrew carnegie for the construction of a permanent library building. 17,000 volumes of books were kept in the nisbet house in washington park until the building was completed.