{"nrhp_refnum":"71000210","name":"Oxnard Public Library","other_names":["Oxnard Chamber of Commerce - Art Club of Oxnard"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"424 S. C St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oxnard","county":"Ventura County","state":"CA","lat":34.19833363600003,"lon":-119.18092181399999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-07-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A single-story Carnegie library building with a full basement at 424 South C Street in Oxnard, Ventura County, California, built in 1906-1907 to designs by architect Franklin P. Burnham.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building has both historical and architectural significance. It was Oxnard's first public library, the first in Ventura County, and also served as the city's first City Hall. It is described as an outstanding example of Greek-style architecture in Southern California and one of the few remaining Carnegie buildings in the region.","narrative":"Built in 1906-1907 at the corner of C and Fifth Streets in Oxnard, this Carnegie library was funded by a $12,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie toward a total cost of $16,016, plus local subscription. Architect Franklin P. Burnham gave it a Greek design with Doric columns, a full entablature and pediments on three sides, all set on a high podium. It opened on May 15, 1907, as the city's first public library and the first in Ventura County, and it also housed Oxnard's first City Hall. A 1923 addition provided more library space and city offices. The library function ended in 1963, after which the Chamber of Commerce used the building and the basement housed an art gallery. The nomination calls it one of the few remaining Carnegie buildings in Southern California and a rare example of Grecian architecture on the West Coast. Film and television studios have also used it as a set.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect Franklin P. Burnham; contractor T. H. Carroll","architectural_style":"Greek (Grecian) style with Doric columns","criteria":[],"status_note":"As of 1971 the building was in excellent, sound condition and in use as offices of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce and the Oxnard Art Gallery/Art Club in the basement.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.195532-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/71000210.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000210/de06567c2d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000210/de06567c2d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carneige_Art_Museum,_Oxnard.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carneige_Art_Museum,_Oxnard.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123862354","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Art_Museum","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5043873"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/ventura-county/oxnard-public-library-71000210/"}