The Woodland Public Library is the oldest, and one of the last functioning
Carnegie-funded
libraries
A library is a collection of Document, materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or electronic media, digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a ...
in California.
It is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
and is a contributing property of the
Downtown Woodland Historic District
The Downtown Woodland Historic District is a historic district in Woodland, California. The district encompasses roughly and 59 contributing buildings. It is a California Historical Landmark and is listed as a historic district on the Nationa ...
.
History
Woodland's library history began with ice-cream socials and book donations from community members, led by the women in the community in 1874. In 1891 a $500 donation helped the community's efforts and led to the establishment of a free public library held in a small area in City Hall.
In 1903 a grant from
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
was received in the amount of $10,000 for the construction of a
public library. Dodge & Dolliver of San Francisco (whose work included the
San Mateo County Courthouse and
St. John's Presbyterian Church in San Francisco) was to design the first phase of the library.
Dodge & Dolliver designed the building based on
Mission Revival
The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...
architecture even though
James Bertram, Carnegie's personal secretary, objected to their choice. William Henry Curson, the contractor for the
Woodland Opera House
The Woodland Opera House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a California Historical Landmark, is one of four fully functioning 19th century opera houses in California. It is a contributing property to the Downtown Historic Di ...
, was the contractor for the job.
Between 1915 and 1979 an agreement was made between the Yolo County Library System and the City Library. The two organizations shared the same building for administrative operations but the Yolo County Library had a separate service establishment. This led to Carnegie donating $12,000 in 1915 to expand the building. A west wing was added, designed by
W.H. Weeks, with an entrance on Court Street with a sign that said "County Library" while the original entrance on First Street said "City Library".
In 1927-1929 another expansion occurred, and in 1985 voters approved a $2.5 million expansion that included the construction of the Leake Room and the interior courtyard.
When the additions were completed in 1988, the building was twice as large.
See also
*
References
External links
Woodland Public Library
{{NRHP in Yolo County, California
Library buildings completed in 1905
Buildings and structures in Woodland, California
Carnegie libraries in California
Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in California
W. H. Weeks buildings
Education in Yolo County, California
National Register of Historic Places in Yolo County, California
Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in California
1905 establishments in California