{"nrhp_refnum":"96000104","name":"Oakland Free Library-Melrose Branch","other_names":["Oakland Public Library Melrose Branch"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4805 Foothill Blvd., 1738 48th Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oakland","county":"Alameda County","state":"CA","lat":37.78346421500004,"lon":-122.23430895299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1996-02-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Classical Revival branch library with a raised basement at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in Oakland, California, built in 1915-1916 with a Carnegie grant and designed by architect William H. Weeks.","why_significant":"It was the first of four similar Carnegie branch libraries built in Oakland under a 1914 grant, and was designed by an architect of statewide prominence in reinforced concrete. It has served continuously as a neighborhood library and is virtually unchanged inside and out. It meets the standards of the California Carnegie libraries multiple property listing.","narrative":"Melrose Branch Library at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in Oakland is a Classical Revival building of one story over a raised basement, with stucco over reinforced concrete and cast concrete and terra cotta ornament. Its fan-shaped plan follows a bend in the street, and a central entry is topped by an owl perched on a book. Inside are a marble and oak stair hall and two reading rooms. William H. Weeks designed it, and it was dedicated in September 1916. It was the first of four branches built with a $140,000 Carnegie grant obtained in 1914, with the site donated by two local landowners after neighborhood groups lobbied for it. A 1920 donation of books and an endowment added to its standing. The main floor has served continuously as a library, while the basement has held a union hall, a naval radio room and now a nursery school. The building remains virtually unchanged, and the city designated it a landmark in 1980.","period_of_significance":"1916-1946","architect_builder":"Weeks, William H. (architect); Christensen, C. (builder)","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a branch library on the main floor; the basement houses a nursery school. Described as in excellent condition with outstanding integrity.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.858116-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/96000104.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/96000104/beb638833f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/96000104/beb638833f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oakland_Free_Library-Melrose_Branch_(Oakland,_CA).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:Oakland_Free_Library-Melrose_Branch_(Oakland,_CA).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857344","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133255007"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/alameda-county/oakland-free-library-melrose-branch-96000104/"}