{"nrhp_refnum":"88000894","name":"Carnegie Public Library Building","other_names":["City of Colton Public Library"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"380 N. La Cadena Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Colton","county":"San Bernardino County","state":"CA","lat":34.068842216000064,"lon":-117.32360626099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-06-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Neo-Classical Revival library building at 380 North La Cadena Drive in Colton, San Bernardino County, California, built in 1907-1908 with a Carnegie grant.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its architecture and its history. It is the only Neo-Classical Revival building of its kind in Colton and was designed by regionally prominent architect Franklin P. Burnham. It served as the city's public library and a cultural focal point from 1908 to 1982.","narrative":"Built in 1907-1908, this one-story brick library on North La Cadena Drive in Colton was funded by a $10,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie. Architect Franklin P. Burnham drew the plans and the firm Kaiser and Loomis built it. The plastered, white-painted building rests on an elevated basement and has a flat roof with a parapet, a central portico with two Ionic columns, and a monumental stairway. Inside, rooms radiate around a central rotunda, with Oregon pine throughout and two working fireplaces. The library opened in November 1908 with 1,171 books and served as the city's library until 1982. Its basement club rooms also hosted the Women's Club, churches, Boy Scouts, the American Legion and the Red Cross. It is described as the only Neo-Classical Revival building of its kind in Colton and has been noted in a guide to Southern California architecture. It has changed little over time and now houses a local museum.","period_of_significance":"1908-1938","architect_builder":"Kaiser & Loomis/F. Burnham","architectural_style":"Neo-Classical Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Now serves as a local museum; the form says it has undergone only routine maintenance and retains its original appearance. The covered vestibule skylight may be restorable.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.919865-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/88000894.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000894/6543d6492d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000894/6543d6492d-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Oleknutlee","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colton_Area_Museum.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Oleknutlee</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colton_Area_Museum.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860738","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colton_Carnegie_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19865629"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-bernardino-county/carnegie-public-library-building-88000894/"}