Haughville Branch Library

Branch 2, the longest continuously operating branch of the Indianapolis Public Library system, originally opened in December, 1896 in a small frame building occupied by a Gospel Rescue Mission. It was located at the corner of Brookside Avenue and Tenth Street. In early 1897 the village known as Haughville became a part of the city and soon afterwards the residents petitioned for a library. Branch 2 was moved from the east side to 2523 West Walnut, a small frame building in the yard of School No. 52. It eventually became known as The Haughville Branch, reflecting the neighborhood it served. The branch moved again in 1901 to the former Town Hall on Germania Avenue, later renamed Belleview Place. In this storefront building the library was expanded three times from a small, one-room library to encompass the entire first floor. A fire in 1904 partially destroyed the library, consuming much of the furniture and more than 400 books. It soon reopened in the same location, and remained there until it relocated to the Michigan Plaza Shopping Center near Holt Road in 1972.