Henry E. Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS · 1919–1920

Henry E. Legler Regional Branch

The first regional library in Chicago, designed by Alfred S. Alschuler in the Beaux Arts style and opened in 1920.

At a glance

The Henry E. Legler Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library stands at 115 S. Pulaski Road in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Built in 1919, it opened on October 11, 1920. Alfred S. Alschuler, a Chicago architect, designed the Beaux Arts building. Inside, a Works Progress Administration mural shows Jacques Marquette meeting Native American traders during his visit to the Chicago area.

History

The library first served an affluent Jewish community. As West Garfield Park changed, its users became a poor and underprivileged African-American population. In 1977 the Chicago Public Library removed Legler’s regional status. Circulation was dropping at the time. The branch was rededicated in 1993 after a renovation. It regained regional status in 2019, following another renovation.

What you see

The building is Beaux Arts in style, a design by Alfred S. Alschuler. Its most notable interior feature is a Works Progress Administration mural. The mural depicts Jacques Marquette and Native American traders during the explorer’s visit to the Chicago area.

Cultural significance

Legler was Chicago’s first regional library, a role it held until 1977 and regained in 2019. The library was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 1986.

Key facts

Country: United States
City: Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates: 41.8794, -87.7253
National Register of Historic Places: added November 6, 1986

Practical information & getting there

The library is at 115 S. Pulaski Road in West Garfield Park. For current opening hours and services, check the Chicago Public Library website.

Sources & resources

Find it on the map

See this place and what’s around it →

➤ Take me there Opens Google Maps navigation from where you are — on foot, by bike, by transit or by car

Google Maps See the location on a full map → Street View Walk around the place virtually → OpenStreetMap Free community cartography →

Travel tips from CHO

The Smithsonian never charges

Every Smithsonian museum is free to enter, all year, with no ticket to buy. A few of the busiest in Washington ask you to reserve a free timed pass in advance, which is worth doing the week before rather than the morning of.

The Smithsonian museums →

Pick a fee-free day in the parks

Most National Park Service sites are free to visit at any time; the ones that do charge an entrance fee drop it on a handful of days each year, usually around the national holidays. The dates are set annually, so look them up before fixing your week.

This year’s fee-free days →

Arrive already connected

Maps, opening hours and tickets all need data, and roaming outside your own network still costs more than the ticket. A travel eSIM for the United States installs on your phone before you leave home and works the moment you land — no queue at the airport, no physical card to swap.

Data plans for the United States →Affiliate link — what this means

📷 Become a Cultural Heritage Online photographer

Share your photos of places: they stay published under your name as the author. The more they're seen, the more you get noticed — and soon a contest will reward the most appreciated photos.

Is this page about you?

This page is read by travellers and heritage enthusiasts who find it on Google. Tell us how you are connected to this place and we will take it from there.