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Central Library
Central
Central Branch viewed from Shattuck Ave in the 1990s. This is the Central Branch, designed by James Plachek in 1930, in Karl Kardel's distinctive burnt orange colors that graced…
Central's History
The early history of the Central Branch is found on the home page of the guide. By the turn of the 20th century the rented rooms in the Shattuck Block were no longer adequate…
Our First Permanent Central 1905-1929
Central Branch as designed by John Galen Howard, viewed from Shattuck Avenue c. 1906. This building was the Central Branch from 1905-1929.
Past Locations
1892-1905: 2156 Shattuck Ave (a storefront, called the Holmes Public Library).
1905-1929: the $40,000 Carnegie grant, Architect John Galen Howard.
1929-1931: temporary site, pending…
Central in the '70s
The west end of Central in the mid-1970s.