{"nrhp_refnum":"11000501","name":"San Francisco Public Library North Beach Branch","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2000 Mason St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Francisco","county":"San Francisco","state":"CA","lat":37.80215482700004,"lon":-122.41234031299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-08-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A single-story brick branch library built in 1959 at the intersection of Mason Street and Columbus Avenue in the North Beach district of San Francisco, on the west edge of the Joe DiMaggio Playground. It was designed by the firm Appleton & Wolfard.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the library physically represents the post-World War II development of modern library principles promoted by the American Library Association, under Criterion A. It is also a good example of the Mid-Century Modern Ranch style applied to a public building, uncommon in San Francisco, under Criterion C. It is described as the only unaltered post-war Modern library in the city.","narrative":"Built in 1959 at the corner of Mason Street and Columbus Avenue, the North Beach Branch Library is a brick, single-story building with a low-sloped gable roof carried on exposed glulam beams. Designed by the San Francisco firm Appleton & Wolfard, it borrows from the suburban Ranch House with low, wide massing, large areas of glass opening toward the neighboring playground, and a living-room-like reading area with a fireplace. Small storefront touches, such as glazed entries and a display case, add a welcoming feel. The design grew from a prototype developed by the architects and City Librarian Laurence Clarke to apply post-war American Library Association standards, which moved branch libraries away from the formal, Neo-Classical Carnegie model. The site was constrained, making this the most controversial of the city's modern library projects. The building has seen very few alterations, keeps much original furniture, and is described as the only unaltered post-war Modern library in San Francisco.","period_of_significance":"1959","architect_builder":"Appleton & Wolfard","architectural_style":"Modern Movement / Ranch Style (Mid-Century Modern)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in good condition with few signs of water intrusion and failing paint, with very few alterations and a high degree of integrity; still in use as a library.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.637034-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/11000501.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861291","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-francisco/san-francisco-public-library-north-beach-branch-11000501/"}