Neighborhoods Served
- West Garfield Park
- East Garfield Park
History
- Legler began as the first regional branch of the Chicago Public Library.
- The location was named for Henry E. Legler (1861-1917), chief librarian of Chicago Public Library from 1909 until his death in 1917.
- Legler was designated a historic landmark building in 1987.
- The building was renovated and rededicated in 1993.
Artwork
- Legler Regional Library displays “Wilderness, Winter River Scene,” a restored mural by Midwestern artist R. Fayerweather Babcock. The mural depicts Father Jacques Marquette and 17th century Native Americans trading by a river. Commissioned for Legler Branch in 1934, the mural was funded by the Work Projects Administration, a program that provided federal funding for artists during the Depression.
- Legler Regional Library also features artwork funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance administered by the City of Chicago Public Art Program:
- a carved wood sculpture by Elizabeth Catlett
- a painting by Kerry James Marshall
