{"nrhp_refnum":"92000267","name":"Grass Valley Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"207 Mill St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Grass Valley","county":"Nevada County","state":"CA","lat":39.216124077000075,"lon":-121.06484007999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-03-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Carnegie-funded public library at 207 Mill Street in Grass Valley, Nevada County, California, designed by architect William Mooser and opened on August 3, 1916. It is a one-story brick building over a raised basement.","why_significant":"The nomination presents the library as a Classical Revival example and as part of California's Carnegie libraries. It also ties the building to local social history: the town's library movement, the Cornish mining heritage, the birthplace of philosopher Josiah Royce on the site, and a mining collection. The period of significance ends in 1942 for lack of exceptional significance after that date.","narrative":"Built as a Carnegie library and opened on August 3, 1916, this one-story brick building on a raised basement stands at 207 Mill Street in Grass Valley. Architect William Mooser of San Francisco designed it in the Classical Revival style, with a projecting central entrance, pilasters, a low parapet and large dentils under the cornice. A Carnegie grant of $15,000 paid for construction by Welch Bros. and Hannemann of Oakland, plus furnishings. The trustees chose Mooser over a competing plan by W. H. Weeks. The library sits above the Golden Center Mine in a town settled in 1849 and shaped by Cornish hardrock mining, and it holds a valuable mining collection. Philosopher Josiah Royce was born on the site, and plaques and trees commemorate him. The building remains in library use, its interior is largely original, and the nomination treats 1916 to 1942 as its period of significance.","period_of_significance":"1916-1942","architect_builder":"Mooser, William, architect; Welch Bros. and Hannemann of Oakland, contractor","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still serves as a library; described as in very good condition and basically unchanged, with exterior repainted in 1985 and interior rewired and refinished in 1990.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.758035-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/92000267.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000267/7baa6bd280-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000267/7baa6bd280-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Isaac Crumm","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GrassValley_CARoyceLibarary.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Isaac Crumm</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GrassValley_CARoyceLibarary.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857704","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_Valley_Public_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5597474"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/nevada-county/grass-valley-public-library-92000267/"}