T. B. Blackstone Memorial Library is a building that is part of the
Chicago Public Library System and is named after
Timothy Blackstone. The building was designed by Chicago architect
Solon S. Beman. It is now known as the
Chicago Public Library - Blackstone Branch and commonly referred to as
Blackstone Library, or
Blackstone Branch and sometimes
Blackstone for short. The Concord Granite building's two-year construction started in 1902, and it was dedicated on January 8, 1904. Blackstone Library marks the beginning of the Chicago Branch Library System as the first dedicated branch in the system. Blackstone is also the only branch of the 79-branch Chicago Public Library branch system that was constructed using private funding.