Santa Cruz County History - Libraries & Schools

The First Santa Cruz Carnegie Library: Photographs from the Library's Collection

Four Santa Cruz libraries were built with grant money from the Carnegie Corporation. The cornerstone of the first one, which came to be known as The Carnegie Library, was laid on September 29, 1903. The building was designed by William H. Weeks.

 

On April 14, 1904, the new building was opened. The new library had two floors, with a total of about 9,000 square feet. The book collection was around 14,000 volumes and served a population of 10,000.

 

 

 

Over the years the building became covered with ivy, as this undated photograph shows.

 

 

 

The photo to the right and the ones below show the Library's interior in July 1941.

People would check out their books and ask reference questions at this desk. We believe that the cabinet to the right of the desk was the card catalog.

 

 

 

 

To the left of the desk were the main book stacks.

 

This is the Reading Room. The large painting to the right is "City of Santa Cruz," by Frank L. Heath. It was acquired by public subscription and was exhibited at both the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, 1893 and the St. Louis Exhibition in 1904. It now hangs in the Central Branch, on the second floor landing leading to the Young People's room.

 

 

 

The Children's Room was here. Over the fireplace is another painting by Heath; it is titled," Mt. Shasta and Echo Lake." It now hangs in the Central Branch, on the landing of the stairway to the meeting room.

 

 

 

In September 1966, the Carnegie Library was demolished to make way for the construction of the present Central Branch. The Central Branch was dedicated April 27, 1968.

 

 

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