Cedar Grove/Line Ave

Branch History

Cedar Grove, the first branch of the original Shreve Memorial Library system, opened on a part-time basis in April 1929 at 6700 Southern Avenue. The two-room branch was in a building from 1922 that previously served as the Village Hall of Cedar Grove.
In September 1946, the Shreve Memorial Library Board proposed that the branch expand into the front part of the building, changing the layout to an open floor plan. The proposal failed, with one librarian writing in 1950 that, “Cedar Grove is the biggest eyesore and a disgrace to the system.” Mayor Clyde Fant moved to remodel the building in 1952 after several civic committees called upon him concerning the state of the branch. The work was completed in February 1953. Air-conditioning and a patio were added in 1957. In 1966, the branch was remodeled again by architects Van Os and Flaxman, including a 12’ x 56’ addition. The building reopened on December 14, 1966, with the new floorplan totaling 1,966 square feet.

In 1996, funds from the capital tax were used to construct the new Cedar Grove/Line Avenue Branch at the present location. The architect for the new, 10,770-square-foot branch was Bobby Osteen of Slack Alost Miremont Architects. The grand opening ceremony was held on November 14, 1999. The total cost of the building was $2,456,359.