Founded in 1848, the Boston Public Library (BPL) was the first in the country to lend books. The handsome Renaissance Revival-style building became the BPL's home in 1895. Before you enter, admire the granite facade's wrought-iron lanterns, relief panels by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and bronze doors by sculptor Daniel Chester French. The inside is even more elaborate, with such features as a staircase faced in Siena marble and mural paintings by French artist Puvis de Chavannes.