Blackstone Library

Blackstone Library Soundex Code B423

4904 S. Lake Park Avenue

Blackstone Library, was donated to the Chicago Public Library by Isabella Farnsworth Blackstone, Timothy Blackstone's widow in 1902.

T.B. Blackstone Memorial Library is a building that is part of the Chicago Public Library System and is named after Timothy Blackstone. The building was designed by Chicago Architect Solon S. Beman. It is now known as the Chicago Public Library - Blackstone Branch and commonly referred to as Blackstone Library, or Blackstone Branch and sometimes Blackstone for short. The Concord Granite building's two-year construction started in 1902, and it was dedicated on January 8, 1904. Blackstone Library marks the beginning of the Chicago Branch Library System as the first dedicated branch in the system. Blackstone is also the only branch of the 79-branch Chicago Public Library branch system that was constructed using private funding.

The building is located in Chicago's Community Area 39 Kenwood the Community Area 41 Hyde Park, and Community Area 36 Oakland. The branch celebrated its 100th anniversary of service in 2004. Today, the library has bronze and mahogany furnishings and has themed paintings on the Rotunda ceiling.