Keys to Kenosha will be taking place on Saturday November, 7 from 10 AM - 4 PM. Kenosha Public Library is excited to feature three sites including Uptown Library.
Uptown Library
Kenosha Public Library has always adapted to meet the needs of its community, and nowhere is that clearer than at its Uptown branch. Located at 2419 63rd Street, Uptown was the system's first standalone location, built to serve the neighborhoods that grew up around Kenosha's booming auto industry. During Keys to Kenosha, come take a guided walk through this hundred-year-old branch, brickwork, wooden rafters, and all.
A Cozy Kind of Charm
Uptown opened its ornate, handcrafted doors in July 1925, built in a cottage style modeled after the Sarah Platt Decker Library in Denver, named for a pioneering Colorado suffragette. It's a cozy mix of old-world touches: Flemish Bond brick patterns, steep gable roofs, and windows framed in stone.
Step inside and you'll find exposed wooden rafters, a fireplace with built-in bench seating, and a Gothic arched doorway leading you in. Plenty of the original copper trim is still on the building today, and in 2020, the front doors got a faithful facelift to match the charm of the 1925 originals. Over the years, the high rafters have even picked up a few uninvited guests, bats sneaking in through the chimney.
A Living Monument to Shared Knowledge
Like all of KPL's branches, Uptown is a monument to shared knowledge and open access, a reminder that ideas and knowledge are a fundamental right for every Kenoshan, no matter their background.
Your Keys to Kenosha Experience
Tours will take you through the branch's charming details, then downstairs to a room with a surprising past: once a staff smoking room, now home to the library's partnership with the Literacy Council of Kenosha.
Home of The Kenosha Literacy Council
Kenosha Literacy Council (KLC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing English
literacy education to adults with the assistance of trained volunteers. We are located in the
Uptown Branch of the Kenosha Public Library. Our programs teach reading, writing, and
speaking skills to adults and families so they can achieve financial independence, good health,
and greater involvement in our community.
The Kenosha Literacy Council offers a wide range of services that help adults acquire the literacy
skills they need:
● Teach basic reading and math skills to adults.
● Conduct English language classes for immigrants and refugees.
● Offer citizenship preparation classes.
● Provide support and guidance for GED testing.
● Recruit and train volunteer tutors.
● Provides ongoing support and resources for volunteer tutors.
● Help learners access additional education services.
● Collaborate with other literacy providers in the community.
Learn more about the Literacy Council, view our class schedule, and find information about
volunteer opportunities at kenoshalit.org.
Unlock Uptown
Come see how this neighborhood branch has held onto its character for a hundred years, while still showing up every day for Kenosha's readers.
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