Since it is Black History Month, today's post will be about the "colored branches". There were two, Eastern Colored and Western Colored.
The Western Colored Branch was occupied October 29, 1908 and has the distinction of being the first free public library in America exclusively for colored readers. We have a website dedicated to Western at www.lfpl.org/western/htms/door.htm.
Eastern Colored Branch was built because of the success of Western and was opened on January 28, 1914. The branch was located at Hancock and Lampton streets (the building is now the Presbyterian Community Center) and was closed in September 1975. At that time 8 branches were closed so that the library professionals could have a raise.
FYI - the branches that were closed were: Cabbage Patch, California, Eastern, Eastern Parkway Baptist Church, East Louisville, Jefferson, LaSalle Place and Waverly. I never heard of most of these - have you?
Hee...Hee Cabbage Patch. Was there a Cabbage Patch neighborhood?
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