In 1906, the Tacony Library opened as the 4th Andrew Carnegie funded branch of the Free Library. It was designed by the architect Lindley Johnson and constructed on land donated by Jacob Disston.

Since its opening, the Tacony Branch has undergone extensive renovation. In 1927, the rear lecture room was remodeled and became the children's reading room. Additional renovations were undertaken in 1939 and 1959. The library was renovated again in 1998 as part of the "Changing Lives" campaign, which brought Internet service to every branch.

The latest updates were completed as part of the 21st Century Library Initiative in 2017.