{"nrhp_refnum":"87001009","name":"Fremont, John C., Branch","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6121 Melrose Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":34.08349606000007,"lon":-118.33395303599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-05-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Mediterranean-style branch library at 6121 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, built in 1927 from plans by architect Merl Lee Barker (M. I. Barker in the description).","why_significant":"The nomination describes it as a significant cultural and social institution for the Hancock Park and South Hollywood areas. It is also a notable example of Mediterranean architecture, with a round portico, designed to harmonize with the surrounding largely Mediterranean-style neighborhood. It is part of a thematic grouping of Los Angeles branch libraries.","narrative":"Built in 1927 at the corner of June Street and Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, the John C. Fremont Branch Library is a one-story, L-plan building of stucco-finished brick with a gabled tile roof. A round entry portico sits in the angle of the L, reached by curved tiled stairs with wrought-iron railings and framed by scored piers with decorative capitals. Inside is a single large room with a central charging desk, original oak tables and chairs, and dark-stained wood trusses. Local architect Merl Lee Barker designed it for about $20,000, and it was named for the explorer, soldier and politician John C. Fremont. The branch grew from a 1912 reading room called Colegrove Station, which later became a sub-branch of the Hollywood Branch and moved to a bungalow in 1923. The building was listed as a notable Mediterranean design that fits its residential surroundings and as a long-serving neighborhood institution, and it continues to serve the community today.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"M. I. Barker (Merl Lee Barker)","architectural_style":"Mediterranean","criteria":[],"status_note":"The library still serves the same community, providing for its social and educational needs.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.300424-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/87001009.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001009/db96746d23-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001009/db96746d23-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_C._Fremont_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles,_California.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:John_C._Fremont_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles,_California.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857474","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Fremont_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14682518"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/fremont-john-c-branch-87001009/"}