The McClintic Building - 21 N. Franklin St

Research: Buildings in the Chagrin Area

Chagrin Falls Library

Chagrin Falls residents have a long tradition of supporting libraries, reading rooms, and access to books. From early lending collections in the 1840s to the modern public library on East Orange Street, local residents have played an important role in creating and sustaining library services in the community.

Early Lending Libraries in Chagrin Falls

As early as the 1840s, Township Hall housed books from the Mechanics Association and from Aristarchus Champion, providing residents with access to a lending library. Other organizations and businesses also contributed to the community’s reading resources. Some fraternal lodges and local stores maintained their own lending libraries, giving residents additional opportunities to borrow books.

These early collections reflected the community’s interest in education, reading, and self-improvement long before Chagrin Falls had a permanent public library.

Establishing a Public Library

A major step toward establishing a public library came through the efforts of Mrs. Pelton, who went door to door throughout the community seeking donations. She asked residents to contribute either one dollar or a book to help create a library that would be available to the public.

Her efforts, combined with strong community support, eventually led to the establishment of a formal library organization. With assistance from the Cleveland Public Library, the Chagrin Memorial Library Society was incorporated in 1921.

Community Fundraising for the Chagrin Memorial Library

The creation of the library was a community effort. Residents raised money in a variety of ways, including the sale of shares of stock, minstrel shows, bazaars, and bake sales. These fundraising activities demonstrate the strong local commitment to creating a permanent library resource for Chagrin Falls residents.

Early library housed on the 2nd floor of 65 N. Main Street — Photograph of the Chagrin Falls Library when it was housed on the 2nd floor of 65 N. Main Street

In 1924, the Chagrin Memorial Library became the first branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library System. During its early years, the library occupied several different buildings around Chagrin Falls as the community worked toward establishing a permanent home.

Photograph of the Children's Room of the library when it was located in the Ober Building — The Children’s Room of the Chagrin Falls Library when it was located in the Ober Building (circa 1925). Mrs. A.E. Hutchinson was the librarian.

The library when it was in the Village Hall. — Room in Chagrin Falls Public Library when it was housed in the Chagrin Falls Village Hall at 21 West Washington Street in the 1930s

The Chagrin Falls Library Moves to East Orange Street

In 1959, the library moved into its own building on East Orange Street following a successful community fundraising campaign. Having a dedicated library building provided Chagrin Falls with a permanent center for reading, education, and community activities.

The building has been enlarged several times over the years to accommodate the community’s changing needs and growing library services.

The Cuyahoga Public Library — The Chagrin Falls Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at 100 East Orange Street. circa 1970

A Continuing Center of Community Life

Today, the Chagrin Falls library continues the tradition established by earlier generations of residents who believed in the importance of books, reading, and education. What began with small lending collections in Township Hall, local businesses, and fraternal organizations eventually developed into a permanent public library serving the community.

The library on East Orange Street remains not only a place to borrow books and access information, but also an active community center in Chagrin Falls, continuing a tradition of public support for libraries that dates back to the 1840s.