Atlanta Public Library & Museum to host Museum Dedication Ceremony honoring Lucille Pech

[September 05, 2023]     The Atlanta Public Library & Museum would like to invite the public to a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Atlanta Museum, as well as a dedication ceremony to honor the Museum’s founder, Lucille Pech.

This event will be held on Saturday, September 9th at 11 a.m. at the Museum located at 112 SW Arch Street in Atlanta, IL. Light refreshments will be provided.

In 1972, Mayor Joe Hoblit approached Mrs. Lucille Pech to begin collecting items to form the Atlanta Museum. On July 4th, 1973, while the Atlanta Public Library was still under the direction of the City of Atlanta, the Atlanta Museum opened in the basement of the library, where Mrs. Pech served as the Curator and Historian until 2011.

In 1981, the family of Judge Frank S. Bevan gifted the building that originally housed his law office to the City of Atlanta with the stipulation that it would be used by the library. This served as the Museum Annex until the Library permanently moved the entire Museum to the Union Hall building in 2009 where it is still housed today.

Lucille Baker was born on February 12th, 1918, in rural McLean. Lucille met Joseph Pech in 1935 during a Saturday night Movie at Murphy Hall in Atlanta. Six months later, the couple was married at the Atlanta Christian Parsonage on January 24th, 1936.

She graduated from McLean High School that same year. The couple farmed in Atlanta Township all their married life except for four years spent in McLean.

Together, they had three children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Lucille passed away on July 13th, 2013.

[Christina Vannoy
Administrative Director
Atlanta Public Library District]