{"nrhp_refnum":"82002156","name":"Berkeley Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2090 Kittredge St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Berkeley","county":"Alameda County","state":"CA","lat":37.868222908000064,"lon":-122.26844871599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-06-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A public library building at 2090 Kittredge Street, at the corner of Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley, California, built in 1930 and designed by architect James W. Plachek.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it Berkeley's finest example of Zig Zag Moderne, combining modern materials, economical construction and artistic distinction. It is the work of James W. Plachek, who largely shaped downtown Berkeley and its civic center between the World Wars. It is also notable for its excellent preservation, its place among stylistically similar buildings, its trend-setting 1973 restoration, and the community support that funded it during the Depression.","narrative":"Berkeley's main public library occupies the southwest corner of Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue downtown. Completed in 1930 to designs by local architect James W. Plachek, it is a reinforced concrete block about 50 feet high, with stucco walls painted deep terra cotta and Mayan-inspired Zig Zag Moderne detailing in dark blue, brown and green. Tall pointed windows are separated by fins, and a sgraffito frieze by Simeon Pelenc shows Egyptian-like figures making, bearing and seeking books. Inside are marble finishes, high ceilings, original oak furniture and four levels of steel stacks. Plachek also designed the light fixtures, furniture and hardware. The library replaced a 1903 Carnegie building by John Galen Howard and was funded by special local taxes, with support that continued through the Depression. The friezes were painted over in the 1950s and restored in 1973. It is considered Berkeley's finest Moderne building and anchors an informal civic center along Shattuck Avenue.","period_of_significance":"1930","architect_builder":"James W. Plachek","architectural_style":"Zig Zag Moderne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition and altered only slightly. Exterior friezes covered in the 1950s were restored in 1973.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.506009-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/82002156.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002156/9140063e55-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002156/9140063e55-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Berkeley_Public_Library_(Kittredge_St.,_Berkeley,_CA).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</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:Berkeley_Public_Library_(Kittredge_St.,_Berkeley,_CA).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858159","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q66157553"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/alameda-county/berkeley-public-library-82002156/"}