John Muir Branch – Windsor Public Library

About this library

The John Muir Branch is the newest location in the Windsor Public Library system, opened on September 28, 2019, in historic Sandwich Town¹. The 7,400-square-foot, $5.5 million library was created by restoring two heritage-designated buildings: the 1921 Sandwich Fire Hall, a classical revival design by architect Gilbert J. P. Jacques, and the neighbouring fire hall stable from the mid-1800s². Designers opened up the old fire hall by cutting into the second floor to create a bright mezzanine while keeping the building's original character. The project earned the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation and a 2021 Award of Excellence from the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals¹. The branch is named after John Muir, a former principal of General Brock Public School who led the Friends of Sandwich Library and spent years campaigning for a library in the neighbourhood. Today it offers books and media for all ages, public computers and programs, and it is fully wheelchair accessible.