Rogers Park
About This Library
Rogers Park Branch reopened June 8, 1999 in a new two-story facility in the same location as the previous smaller facility. A reading garden adjacent to the library was dedicated September 23, 2003.
The branch has artwork funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance administered by the City of Chicago Public Art Program: “Millennium Paintings,” an oil on canvas by Al Tyler, and “The Pansies,” a ceramic and acrylic by Jo Hormuth.
Rogers Park Branch was established in 1894 on Clark Street by the Rogers Park Women’s Club, whose members donated books and served as volunteer librarians. Ten years later, the Chicago Public Library began operating the collection as a deposit station. In 1917, a storefront opened on Clark Street near Morse Avenue. By 1923, it had outgrown its home and moved to 1731 W. Greenleaf Avenue. The library remained there through the Great Depression and the post-World War II era.
On January 30, 1951, a disastrous fire destroyed almost the entire collection. While the Chicago Public Library looked for a new location, Great Northern Laundry at 7057 N. Clark Street donated space to house the remaining books, while serving as a deposit station. On September 17, 1951, the branch reopened in a rented storefront at 7015 N. Clark Street. On October 29, 1958, the branch reopened at 6907 N. Clark Street.