| Detroit Public Library Main Branch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 5201 Woodward Ave, Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, United States |
| Architect(s) | Cass Gilbert Sr, Cass Gilbert Jr, Francis Keally |
| Branch of | Detroit Public Library |
The Main Branch is the headquarters of the Detroit Public Library System in Detroit, Michigan. It is located in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood, between Woodward Avenue and Cass Avenue.
Designed by Cass Gilbert, the Main Branch was constructed with Vermont marble and serpentine Italian marble trim in an Italian Renaissance style. His son, Cass Gilbert Jr. was a partner with Francis Keally in the design of the library's additional wings added in 1963. Among his other buildings, Cass Gilbert designed the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., the Minnesota State Capitol and the Woolworth Building in New York City.
History
In 1910, Andrew Carnegie, the great American library philanthropist of the early 20th century, donated funds to build a larger central library to supplement Centre Park Branch downtown. Property near Woodward and Kirby was purchased and in 1912 Cass Gilbert was commissioned to construct his design of a three-floor, early Italian Renaissance-style building. Due to delays and World War I, the Main Library did not open until March 21, 1921. It was dedicated June 3, 1921.
The north and south wings opened on June 23, 1963, and added a significant amount of space to the building. The wings were connected along the rear of the original building and a new entrance created on Cass Avenue. Above this entrance is a mosaic by Millard Sheets entitled The River of Knowledge. As part of the addition, a triptych mural was added to the west wall of Adam Strohm Hall on the third floor. The mural by local artist John Stephens Coppin is entitled Man's Mobility and depicts a history of transportation. This mural complements a tryparch mural on the opposite wall completed in 1921 by Gari Melchers depicting Detroit's early history.
Gallery
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References
- "DPL History". Detroit Public Library. 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
Further Reading
- Christen, Barbara S.; Flanders, Steven (2001). Cass Gilbert, Life and Work: Architect of the Public Domain. W.W. Norton. ISBN 978-0393730654.
- Cohn, Barbara Madgy; Merritt, Patrice Rafail (2017). The Detroit Public Library: An American Classic. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814342329.
- Hill, Eric J.; Gallagher, John (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814331200.
- Meyer, Katherine Mattingly (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.
- Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814332702.
- Woodford, Donald G. (1965). Parnassus on Main Street: A History of the Detroit Public Library. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-1125126868.