Eagle Rock Branch Library
Why it's listed
Eagle Rock's former branch library on Colorado Boulevard began in 1914, when local citizens wrote to the Carnegie Foundation and received a $7,500 grant. W. E. Kleinspell designed the first building in the Mission Revival style. After Eagle Rock joined the City of Los Angeles in 1923, the library became a branch of the city system and remained heavily used. In 1927 architects Henry C. Newton and Robert D. Murray, who specialized in church design, remodeled it in the Spanish style. They gave it a cruciform plan with a central reading room like a church nave, flanked by bookshelf areas, cast stone columns and arches, clerestory windows, a wood-truss ceiling and an outdoor reading area on the rear roof. The walls are stucco over reinforced concrete and hollow tile, under tile roofs. Its listing rests on the 1927 appearance, which survives. At the time of nomination it was used for storage, since a newer library had opened elsewhere. It is part of a group of Los Angeles branch libraries.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its cultural role in the development of the Eagle Rock community, its place in the nation's largest branch library system, and its quality as public architecture by Henry C. Newton and Robert D. Murray. The 1927 remodel gave it an unusual cruciform, church-like plan for a library. The building remains a link to the community's early years.
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 87001004, listed May 19, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2224 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | May 19, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001004 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architects Henry C. Newton and Robert D. Murray (Newton and Murray); original 1914 design by W. E. Kleinspell |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The library was being used for storage because a new library had been built in a different location. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 34.14857, -118.21512 (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 87001004.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5325244
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.