Legler Branch

Legler Branch library is in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, on Pulaski surrounded by scruffy or vacant small business properties. It's an imposing sight on a sad stretch of road. This library was the first regional library in Chicago, built in 1923, a jewel for the west side. It's named after Henry E. Legler, the first proponent of a major expansion of branch services. He instituted a plan for an extensive expansion of neighborhood libraries and said, he wanted to bring "library service within the walking distance of home for every person in Chicago who can read or wants to use books." This spirit is still alive in Chicago, with its program for building and rehabbing over 50 libraries in the last few years.
The interior is filled with marble staircases, high ceilings with art deco skylights, and separate adult and childrens rooms. The adult room has a large african american history collection, and was lightly filled with adults using the computers. A small room off of the adult collection has a significant mural from 1934, done by an artist for the WPA. The restored mural Wilderness,Winter River Scene, is by midwestern artist, R. Fayerweather Babcock. The mural depicts Father Jaques Marquette and 18th century Native Americans trading by the river.
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Unfortunately, when I asked at the front desk, the clerk didn't know anything about the mural, and directed me to the 2nd floor where a local artist had a canvas from 1994. I did go back down and was then shown the small room where the WPA mural was,surpised that there was no signage. The staff was friendly, but the sad emptiness of the children's room made it feel like it wasn't the community hub it could be. On a very hot August afternoon, it would have been a quiet cool place for kids to enjoy.