{"nrhp_refnum":"88000925","name":"Free Public Library of Petaluma","other_names":["Old Carnegie Library","Petaluma Historical Library and Museum"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"20 Fourth St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Petaluma","county":"Sonoma County","state":"CA","lat":38.23262108400007,"lon":-122.63981429999995,"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 two-story Neo-Classical Revival Carnegie library building at 20 Fourth Street in Petaluma, Sonoma County, California, designed by local architect Brainerd Jones. Its cornerstone is dated 1904 and it opened in 1906.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is one of Petaluma's finest public buildings and a well-preserved example of Neo-Classical Revival style (Criterion C). It also served as the town's only library from 1906 until the 1970s, and was funded by a Carnegie grant (Criterion A).","narrative":"Petaluma's Old Carnegie Library is a 60-by-60-foot, two-story building on a corner lot in downtown Petaluma. Designed by local architect Brainerd Jones, it is wood-framed and faced with locally quarried sandstone and Alameda pressed brick in cream and buff tones. Its pedimented portico has four tall stone columns with Corinthian capitals, and the interior centers on a large leaded stained glass dome, locally believed to be the largest free-standing dome of its kind in California. Douglas fir paneling, a gallery and a double staircase fill the interior. Funded by a Carnegie grant, the cornerstone was laid in 1904 and the library opened in 1906, weeks after the earthquake. It served as the town's only library until the 1970s. Alterations have been minor, including removal of roof balustrades in the 1930s. After restoration, it reopened in 1978 as a historical library and museum. It is significant for its architecture and its role in the town's civic life.","period_of_significance":"1906-1938","architect_builder":"Jones, Brainerd","architectural_style":"Neo-Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Now used as the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, which opened in 1978 after interior restoration; owned by the City of Petaluma.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.763961-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/88000925.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000925/15b2d3374b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000925/15b2d3374b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Free_Public_Library_of_Petaluma,_20_Fourth_St.,_Petaluma,_CA_5-31-2010_6-56-02_PM.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:Free_Public_Library_of_Petaluma,_20_Fourth_St.,_Petaluma,_CA_5-31-2010_6-56-02_PM.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123862062","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Public_Library_of_Petaluma","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5500020"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/sonoma-county/free-public-library-of-petaluma-88000925/"}