{"nrhp_refnum":"86003169","name":"Legler, Henry E., Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"115 S. Pulaski Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.87936813500005,"lon":-87.72520155799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-11-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one-half story Beaux Arts public library at 115 South Pulaski Road in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, designed by Alfred S. Alschuler in 1919 and opened to the public in 1920.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an understated but notable example of Alschuler's post-World War I Beaux Arts work, meeting Criterion C. It is also significant in education as the first regional library in the Chicago Public Library system, a concept initiated by librarian Henry E. Legler.","narrative":"Henry E. Legler Regional Branch is a public library at 115 South Pulaski Road in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood. Architect Alfred S. Alschuler designed it in 1919 at a cost of $184,800, and it opened to the public in October 1920. The red rusticated brick building has a symmetrical Beaux Arts front with a colonnaded entrance pavilion, cut stone urns, garlands and a balustrade. Inside are classical details, a Vermont marble floor, an art glass skylight, and a WPA mural by R. Fayerweather Babcock. The nomination presents it as a restrained example of Alschuler's classical work and as the first regional library in the Chicago system. The regional model, intended to support smaller local branches, was promoted by head librarian Henry E. Legler, for whom the library was named after his death in 1917. The building has had no major alterations, though it has suffered from neglect, and a restoration plan was approved by the library board.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Alfred Samuel Alschuler","architectural_style":"Beaux Arts vernacular (classical revival)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Occupied and in public educational use; the building is described as sound but neglected for about twenty years, with a Holabird and Root restoration design approved by the library board.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.713623-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/8923/28892348/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/86003169.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003169/a504185817-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003169/a504185817-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Seth Patner","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leglerlibrary.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Seth Patner</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leglerlibrary.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892348","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_E._Legler_Regional_Branch_of_the_Chicago_Public_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5720642"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/legler-henry-e-regional-branch-of-the-chicago-public-library-86003169/"}