Muswell Hill Public Library

Muswell Hill Public Library is a public library built in 1931 by W H Adams for Hornsey Borough Council. The building features red and brown brick with stone dressings and has a flat roof. It has a rectangular plan with two storeys, where the lower level is designated for adults and the upper level for children, which includes a central four-bay raised attic and skylights.

The main frontage has three bays with a deep plinth and a giant order of pilasters, cornice, frieze, and pediment. Central double panelled doors are flanked by giant volute brackets and carriage lamps. Above the doors, the Hornsey Borough arms and the date - 1931 - are displayed in a stone surround that connects the door to the first-floor window. The flanking windows are paired vertically and feature raised stone panels set into contrasting brickwork. This design motif is also seen on the first bay of the side elevations, which have a giant order and brown brick panels at the first-floor level, along with clerestorey glazing in the raised attic. All windows are fitted with metal glazing that includes margin lights and diagonal panes arranged in various patterns.

Inside, there is an elaborate iron stair leading to the children's library. This room is notable for its preserved panelling, some original shelving, and particularly for a deep frieze of murals painted by the Hornsey School of Art in 1937-1938. These murals are significant as they are the earliest known mural decorations to survive in a children's library, a once common practice to promote learning but now rare. The murals depict local scenes through the ages and were created by J B Shaw, D Fuller, R Woodward, G Makins, and Miss W M Gamlen from the Hornsey School of Art.