{"nrhp_refnum":"87001022","name":"Vermont Square Branch","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1201 W. Forty-eighth St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":33.99981146600004,"lon":-118.29593761699999,"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 branch library at 1201 W. 48th Street in Los Angeles, built in 1913 and designed by architects Hunt and Burns. It sits on a portion of Vermont Square Park.","why_significant":"The nomination states it was the first branch building constructed by the Library Board and the oldest of three surviving Carnegie Grant buildings in Los Angeles from 1911 to 1916. It marks the start of what is described as the largest branch library system in the country. Its style combines Italian Renaissance and Prairie School architecture.","narrative":"Vermont Square Branch Library, at 1201 W. 48th Street in Los Angeles, was built in 1913 to designs by Hunt and Burns. It is a one-story building on a raised foundation, with a red tile roof, broad stained eaves and a symmetrical three-part facade. The slightly projecting center is faced in terra cotta with geometric patterns, and a staircase leads to an entry with a Palladian transom. Cream-colored glazed brick covers the lower walls of the wings, with bands of tall windows above. Inside, the original charging desk survives, along with octagonal columns and a coffered ceiling in the reading room. The library was the first branch building constructed by the Library Board and is the oldest of three surviving Carnegie Grant buildings in the city from 1911 to 1916. Its blend of Italian Renaissance and Prairie School design reflects both the Mediterranean revival trend in California and the influence of midwestern architecture brought by new residents. It marks the start of the city's large branch library system.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Hunt and Burns","architectural_style":"Italian Renaissance with Prairie style proportions (Prairie School influence)","criteria":[],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.953527-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/87001022.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001022/bcd882c6d0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001022/bcd882c6d0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vermont_Square_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles_(Front).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:Vermont_Square_Branch_Library,_Los_Angeles_(Front).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857631","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Square_Branch_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7921771"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/vermont-square-branch-87001022/"}