Henry E. Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library

The Henry E. Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library, also called the Legler Library, the Legler Regional Library, or the Legler Branch, is a branch of the Chicago Public Library located at 115 S. Pulaski Road in the West Garfield Park community area of Chicago, Illinois.[2] The library was built in 1919 and opened on October 11, 1920; it was the first regional library in Chicago. Chicago architect Alfred S. Alschuler designed the building in the Beaux Arts style.[3] A Works Progress Administration mural in the library depicts Jacques Marquette and Native American traders during Marquette's visit to the Chicago area.[3]

Henry E. Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library
Location115 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°52′46″N 87°43′31″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1919 (1919)
ArchitectAlfred S. Alschuler
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
NRHP reference No.86003169[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 6, 1986

The Legler Library originally served an affluent Jewish community. However, as the demographics of West Garfield Park shifted, it ultimately came to serve a poor and underprivileged African-American population. The Chicago Public Library removed the Legler Library's status as a regional library in 1977, at a time when circulation was dropping at the library.[4] The branch was rededicated in 1993 following a renovation.[2]

The library was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 1986.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Legler: About This Library". Chicago Public Library. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  3. Gray, Mary Lackritz (2001). A Guide to Chicago's Murals. University of Chicago Press. p. 520. ISBN 9780226305998.
  4. Brotman, Barbara (June 13, 1985). "Legler Library Offers Patrons A Vestige Of Hope". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 15, 2013.


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