Architecture & icons / Midtown
Detroit Public Library — Main Library
Reading rooms, murals, and marble stairs make Detroit’s Main Library an architectural destination.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Designed by Cass Gilbert and opened in 1921, the Main Library on Woodward Avenue contributes art and architecture to Midtown’s cultural district as well as books. Decorated spaces and historical collections connect it closely to Detroit’s intellectual life. A quiet visit can provide a welcome change of pace between the neighboring museums, while its research collections serve a different, more focused purpose.
- Cass Gilbert’s main building
- Murals and decorative art
- Historical collections
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 7
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Cass Gilbert 1859–1934 · architect
Worked here
His marble Renaissance-style library in the Cultural Center, opened in 1921 and later extended with wings by Cass Gilbert Jr. and Francis Keally.
- Jam Handy 1886–1983 · Olympic swimmer and water polo player, industrial filmmaker
Memorial
Holds Handy's personal papers and the surviving records of the Jam Handy Organization.
- Gari Melchers 1860–1932 · painter, muralist
Worked here
Holds his set of three murals on the history of Detroit.
- Henry Billings Brown 1836–1913 · lawyer, federal judge, U.S. Supreme Court justice
Related place
The Main Library's Burton Historical Collection holds his diaries and papers.
- Ernie Harwell 1918–2010 · baseball broadcaster
Memorial
The library dedicated a room to Ernie and Lulu Harwell in 2004 and holds his large baseball memorabilia collection.
- Clarence M. Burton 1853–1932 · lawyer, businessman, historian and collector
Founded
The Main Library in Midtown, home of the Burton Historical Collection that grew from his 1914 gift.
- E. Azalia Hackley 1867–1922 · concert soprano, choral director, educator, activist
Memorial
The Main Library houses the E. Azalia Hackley Collection of African Americans in the Performing Arts, founded in her name in 1943.
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-24
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
Historical background: Wikipedia and its contributors; article licenses and revision histories are available on the source pages.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.
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