{"nrhp_refnum":"87001016","name":"Moneta Branch","other_names":["Serra Branch"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4255 S. Olive St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":34.005887459000064,"lon":-118.27978735699998,"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 4255 South Olive Street in Los Angeles, built in 1923 to designs by architect Lyman Farwell. It is now known as the Serra Branch.","why_significant":"The nomination holds that the library has played an important role in the social and educational development of South-Central Los Angeles. It is described as a notable, picturesque building by a prominent local architect. It is also one of a thematic group of City branch libraries.","narrative":"Built in 1923, this one-story brick library at 4255 South Olive Street in Los Angeles is finished in stucco and designed in a Mediterranean style. Architect Lyman Farwell gave it a symmetrical front facade dominated by a square central tower, with an arched entry portal and twin oak doors. Inside, a central charging desk sits beneath the open tower, which admits abundant light and has a beamed ceiling with corbels. Original oak tables and chairs and a tiled fireplace remain. The library began in 1908 as a book delivery station requested by the Moneta neighborhood and became a branch by 1915 in a rented store. During World War I it served as district headquarters for local war work. A new building was built in 1923 at a cost of $38,000. In 1934 the name changed from Moneta to Junipero Serra Branch. It has long served the South-Central community with exhibits, book drives and children's story hours, and its tower is visible from the Harbor Freeway.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Lyman Farwell (architect)","architectural_style":"Mediterranean","criteria":[],"status_note":"The library continues to provide social and educational service to the local community; the interior includes original oak tables and chairs.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:26.837679-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/87001016.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001016/da39ecd094-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001016/da39ecd094-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moneta_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles.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:Moneta_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857563","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneta_Branch","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6898985"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/moneta-branch-87001016/"}