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Blackstone Branch Library
About this Library:
Timothy B. Blackstone Branch, renovated in 1980, was the first branch of the Chicago Public Library. The branch celebrated its 100th Anniversary on September 18, 2004. Timothy Beach Blackstone was President of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and the first president of the Union Stockyards and Transit Company. Following his death in 1900, this branch was erected in his memory. Blackstone Branch is modeled after the Erechtheion, a temple on the Athenian Acropolis. The architect was Solomon S. Beman, a leading architect of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Artwork by Chicago artist Oliver Dennett Grover, located in the rotunda, features the themes of Literature, Science, Labor, and Art. Other notable architectural details include an upper-level glass floor, stained-glass ceilings, carved marble, mosaic tile floors, and mahogany wainscoting. The Children?s Room, a WPA project, opened in 1939.
Recent News
Blackstone Library News October 20, 2023
We are so excited to bring this event back to the Blackstone Library. The evening will consist of whiskey and spirit tasting (provided by Branford Wine & Liquor), sessions with psychic mediums, silent auction, light refreshments and so much…
Read More »Blackstone Library Fall Fun September 18, 2023
Let's Talk! English Conversation Groups Tuesdays starting September 19 from 1 - 2pm OR Thursdays starting September 21 from 10 - 11am Join us for an English Conversation Group at the Blackstone Library! This group is for ESOL (English for Speakers…
Read More »Blackstone Library News - Fall Fun September 11, 2023
Tech Help Tuesday Tuesday, September 12 from 11am - 12pm Confused about your new iPhone or iPad? Need help formatting a Word document? Drop in to the library between 11am & 12pm to get a tech question answered. First come, first served. Sessions…
Read More »Blackstone Library Updates - February 24, 2023
LIBRARY NEWS Thank you to Big Y for choosing the James Blackstone Memorial Library for their Community Bag Program. We are thrilled to partner with our community! If you are shopping at the Big Y on 1060 West Main Street in Branford, please…
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