Schlafly is one of seventeen branches in the St. Louis Public Library system.
It is located at 225 North Euclid Avenue at Lindell Boulevard in the Central West End Neighborhood.
The Central West End was formerly served by the Lashly Branch which opened in July, 1968 at 4537 West Pine Boulevard. The building was designed by the William B. Ittner, Inc. architectural firm and Talisman, Inc. served as the chief contractor. The building was named in memory of Jacob Mark Lashly, a St. Louis lawyer and library leader who served 26 years on the St. Louis Public Library Board of Directors (source).
Per city records, this mod 1967 building is still in use by the Society of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic women's organization.
The Schlafly Branch opened in its current location in January, 2002. It is housed on the first floor of the City of St. Louis’ Argyle parking garage.
It is named in honor of Daniel and Adelaide Schlafly.
Adelaide Mahaffey Schlafly (1915-2012) married her childhood friend Daniel Schlafly (1913-1997) in 1939. They both came from money, but dedicated their lives to social justice when she served on the St. Louis Welfare Commission, was president of the Missouri Citizens for Human Welfare, chaired the Missouri Volunteers Against Hunger and served on the Catholic Interracial Council and the Archdiocesan Human Rights Commission. (source)
Adelaide Mahaffey Schlafly
Her husband, Daniel was a member of the St. Louis Board of Education from 1953 until 1981, where he was described as having stood firm for advancing racial integration and fought against political corruption in the school system. (source)
Daniel L. Schlafly
They both lived in the Central West End neighborhood.
To many in the region, the Schlafly name is associated with the beer that bears the same name. And, while Daniel and Adelaide Schlafly were not associated with the brewery that was founded in 1991, their son Tom Schlafly was a co-founder of the popular brand. (source)
There is good pedestrian access and the bike rack was installed in a great spot, right between two entryways.
The exterior has a bronze sculpture of a newsboy with a plaque that states:
Donated by the Wetterau Family
In Honor of the Old Newsboys Organization
Uplifting the Spirit of Over 100,000 St. Louis Children
The interior characteristics include a winding series of rooms that include a story room, kid's help desk, computer and quiet study room.
The furniture and decor are similar to the other branches renovated or built in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Totally of their time. I hope the value of these designs are cherished and the furniture is preserved throughout the years to mark the styles of the late 20th Century.
Art work adorns the many shelves.
The children's area has a little tiered stage, neatly kept toys and a good selection of books.
The libraries are constantly revolving their display cabinets with new themes and materials. Upon my visit, Native American artwork was on display.
The branch has a crisp, open, modern vibe. It is nearly always busy as this is one of the city's most densely populated neighborhoods.
Author and playwright names are painted around the library's interior perimeter:
The Schlafly branch is one of five branches open on Sundays (Julia Davis, Carpenter, Central and Buder are the others).
Great post! Carpenter Branch is also a regional branch. LW @ Divoll
ReplyDelete