The earliest origins of what would be later become Brooklyn Public Library begin with the Mercantile Library Association of the City of Brooklyn establishing a library in Brooklyn Heights in 1857, which was succeeded by The Brooklyn Library. The New Utrecht branch's history dates to 1894 as well, though this date coincides with the opening of the Free Library of the Town of New Utrecht--not yet a part of the BPL system, which didn't occur until 1901. The true history of Brooklyn Public Library's branches begins in 1897 when the Bedford Library first opened. It later moved, destined to become one of the esteemed Carnegie branches--though not the first, a distinction that goes to the Pacific location. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, over 1,500 Carnegie-sponsored libraries were built in the United States. He funded 21 branches in Brooklyn alone, many--but not all--of which still stand today.