Colusa Carnegie Library
Also known as: Carnegie Library Building; City of Colusa Police Department
Why it's listed
Colusa's former Carnegie library, at 260 Sixth Street, is a tall Classical Revival building of one story over a raised basement, faced with dark gray Sites sandstone quarried northwest of town. A metal pediment and entablature rest on pilasters, a carved Union Jack motif decorates the parapet, and stone lintels bear the names of famous authors. San Francisco architects Stone & Smith designed it after Colusa received a $10,000 Carnegie grant in 1905. The Colusa Woman's Club led fundraising to cover the total cost of $13,158. The library opened on October 6, 1906, and served the public until 1964, when city and county libraries merged. City offices then occupied it, and the police department has used it since 1977, after residents voted against selling the building. It was designated a local landmark in 1981. It is significant for its role in the community's library history and as a distinctive example of Classical Revival design.
Significance in brief: It is the only Carnegie library in Colusa County and one of thirteen built in the Sacramento Valley between 1903 and 1917. It shows Classical Revival themes in a distinctive structure faced with locally quarried stone. It also reflects community effort, notably fundraising by the Colusa Woman's Club, and the community's later choice to keep the building in civic use.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 90001816, listed December 10, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 260 Sixth St., Colusa |
|---|---|
| County | Colusa County |
| Listed | December 10, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001816 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1921 |
| Architect / builder | Stone, Louis S.; Smith, Henry C. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as the Colusa Police Department since 1977; alterations since construction are described as not detracting from its integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.21367, -122.01005 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 90001816.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14681775
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.