Walz


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Branch History

When Doctor Frederick Wilhelm Walz died in 1945, he left his property to the Cleveland Public Library. The property included his home and office and two other buildings.  Dr. Walz was born on the West side October 23, 1858 at the corner of Bridge Avenue and Jersey Street (West 30th). He graduated from West High school in June 1875. He studied medicine for three years and graduated from the Homeopathic Hospital college in 1878. He practiced medicine on the West side, but began his political life when elected to the Board of Education in 1885. He was elected to the office of coroner and served four years (1887-1891). He was first elected to city council in 1907 and served under the administration of Tom L. Johnson. Walz served a second term in city council in the 1930s.

The Walz Branch is two stories built into a hill that has a roof with over-hung eaves and flat brackets, giving a house-like appearance on the busy commercial street of Detroit Avenue. The interior has an open plan, indirect lighting, paneled walls and a brick interior. Windows from the clerestory floods the interior with warm natural light. The exterior and interior are a reflection of the man who lived and worked at this location. The Walz branch is now filled with 9,600 square feet of fixtures, materials, and meeting spaces. It opened in 1967 after obtaining updates designed by Hoag-Wismar-Henderson Associates.

Special Features

Walz Branch serves the diverse Detroit-Shoreway community. This dynamic area is comprised of new condominiums and historic homes; of life-long residents and new immigrants. To meet the diverse needs of this community Walz has adaptive technology, Large Print, Spanish and Vietnamese Collections. Other language collections are brought in to meet current needs.

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