Milford District Library

Library Hours

Monday - Thursday 9 am - 6 pm

Friday - 9 am - 5 pm

Saturday - 9 am - noon

History

Milford Illinois Library, a Carnegie library, is located in an agricultural community eight-eight miles south of Chicago. It was established April 6, 1896 in the New Odd Fellows Building which consisted of two rooms. There were about 1800 volumns with an average of 400 checked out each month. On February 23, 1904 Eugene L'Hote, editor of the Milford Herald, wrote to Andrew Carnegie hoping for a $10,000 donation. On December 30. 1904, James Bertram promised $7,000 which the library board of trustees accepted. In 1906, architect Harvey Shadden of Danville, Illinois, was chosen to design the new brick and stone building on a lot donated by William H. and Emaline Morgan. The new building was completed in 1907. At that time the library became tax supported. 

The basement rooms were remodeled and made into community rooms for clubs and group meetings in 1933. Then in 1975 and 1976, the S. M. Brown and Laura Brown Charitable Trust donated $33,000 for the complete remodeling of the basement for a children's library. On November 17, 1989 the Milford Township Public Library became a district library and is one of the largest districts in the state.