Livermore Carnegie Library and Park

About this property

The Carnegie Library at Livermore, California, opened in 1911 and continued in use as a library until 1966. It now hosts a historical museum and art gallery. The building was designed by William H. Weeks in the Greek Revival style and is included on the National Register of Historic Places. A weekly farmers' market takes place in the surrounding park. The first Livermore Library was organized in 1875 by the Livermore Library and Dramatic Association. It initially had a collection of 250 books. Members of the public were asked to pay three dollars a year for a family membership (or twenty dollars for a lifetime membership) for the privilege of borrowing books. In 1878, the Livermore Public Library Association was organized to manage the operation. This association raised funds to build a library building, but closed in 1887, after public interest waned. The books were stored in the local newspaper office. The Livermore Ladies League of Progress reopened the library in 1896, naming it the Livermore Free Library. They created a new "corporation of public benefit" and sold shares to purchase the former library building. In 1901, the city took over the free library and put it under municipal control and financial support. By then, the library's inventory had grown to 3,500 books. Led by Mrs. Dell C. Savage, president of the library board, Livermore began its campaign to obtain a library grant from the Carnegie Foundation in 1908. A formal application was made and a grant of $10,000 was approved that year. The city agreed to match the grant by providing $1,000 per year for ten years, provide land for the building, and support the operation with tax money. A bond election was scheduled for December 17, 1909. The election passed easily, supported by the San Francisco Chronicle and the Livermore Valley Improvement Association. The city purchased a 1.83-acre (7,400 m2) site at Third Street and L street for $9,000. The plot was formerly the site of the Peter McKeany corral and slaughterhouse. The new building opened in 1911 and continued to serve as the main public library until 1966, when the city built a new central library in the Civic Center on South Livermore Street. The original structure, which was built in the Classical Revival architectural style, still stands and now houses the Livermore Heritage Guild's History Center and Museum. The building sits in the middle of a square block of parkland bounded by 3rd Street on the north, J street on the east, 4th Street on the south, and K street on the west. The park is the site of a weekly farmers' market that draws many visitors who buy locally grown produce and listen to music performed by local artists. The building and park are managed by the Livermore Area Parks and Recreation District (LARPD).

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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