Woodland Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Woodland Public Library is the oldest, and one of the last functioning Carnegie
-funded libraries
in California. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
and is a contributing property of the Downtown Woodland Historic District
.
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 architecture even though James Bertram
, Carnegie's personal secretary, objected to their choice. William Henry Curson, the contractor for the Woodland Opera House
, 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.
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
-funded libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
in California. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is a contributing property of the Downtown Woodland Historic District
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 National Register of Historic Places.-References:...
.
History
Woodland's library history began with ice-cream socials and book donations from community members, led by the woman 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 CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
was received in the amount of $10,000 for the construction of a public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
. 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 architecture even though James Bertram
James Bertram (Carnegie secretary)
James Bertram was the personal secretary of Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist, from 1897-1914. Bertram also served the Carnegie Corporation of New York from its inception in 1911 as secretary and trustee until his death in 1934...
, Carnegie's personal secretary, objected to their choice. William Henry Curson, the contractor for the Woodland Opera House
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 District of Woodland, California.-History:Designed in...
, 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.