“Throughout its 35-year existence, the Prairie Avenue Bookshop was much more than an architectural book retailer. It was a meeting ground for architects and design devotees, where buyers could find rare works or the latest ones — then kick back in furniture designed or inspired by the likes of Mies van der Rohe, or Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

“Guiding the bookstore’s look and feel, and quietly presiding over it all was Marilyn Hasbrouck. Marilyn Hasbrouck died March 21, 2025. She was 91.

“Along with her gregarious and outspoken husband, the architect and preservationist Wilbert R. Hasbrouck, the couple turned what began as a book collection basement of their Palos Park home in the late 1960s, into what the Financial Times called ‘the best architectural bookstore in the world.’

“To assemble the libraries, the Hasbroucks bought scores of books and magazines from the widows of architects — leaving the young family with piles of duplicate books and publications that they stored in their basement.

“The collection was used to open the Prairie Avenue Bookshop in 1974. The first location was at the Elbridge Keith House, an Italianate-styled home built in 1868 at 1900 S. Prairie Ave.

“The bookshop’s reputation and impact grew after moving to its second location at 711 S. Dearborn St., in 1980. The store moved to its final location, 418 S. Wabash Ave., in 1995.

“At Mrs. Hasbrouck’s hand, the Prairie Avenue Bookshop became globally known for its huge selection and also its backlist of vintage books that were still in publication. Noted for its three levels and 14,000 volumes, the Wabash Avenue store was also celebrated for its classy, welcoming decor.

“‘Beyond the store, I think [it] was kind of a cultural center for architecture and for architects, and a meeting place,’ Ralph Johnson said. “It was unmatched [and] more than a private bookstore. It was a cultural institution for Chicago.’ (Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/13/25)

Read the full obituary at Chicago Sun-Times

• Marilyn Hasbrouck, co-owner of architecture-themed Prairie Avenue Bookshop, dies at 91; She created a bookstore that was a meeting ground for architects and design devotees, where buyers could find rare works or the latest ones — then kick back in furniture designed by the likes of Mies van der Rohe, or Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/13/25
• Prairie Avenue Bookshop has the Answer for Architects, Chicago Tribune, 11/23/1995