Western Branch Louisville Free Public Library

Initially, this library for African Americans occupied three rented rooms in a private home. But thanks to pressure from the Black community and funding from Andrew Carnegie, 1905 saw the opening of the nation’s first free public library run by and for Black Americans. Schedule a tour of the African American Archives Reading Room to see the papers of pioneering librarian Rev. Thomas F. Blue and poet Joseph S. Cotter, Sr., plus photos, pamphlets, and clippings from the Black experience.

Accessibility: Wheelchair access is available via a ramp from the street to the front of the building.