Palos Verdes Public Library and Art Gallery-Farnham Martin's Park (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Malaga Cove Plaza Library; See Also:Palos Verdes Public Libr
Why it's listed
On a steep, sloping site in Palos Verdes Estates, a Mediterranean Revival library and an adjoining Olmsted-designed park form a single civic complex. Myron Hunt designed the library in 1929 with hollow-cast reinforced concrete walls covered in white stucco, a red tile roof, a corbeled balcony and a square tower with open loggia. Five levels house a gallery and meeting room, library collection, local history room and tower. Farnham Martin's Park, planted in 1928 to designs by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., has a stone fountain, twin stone staircases, an elliptical lawn and original plantings such as an American elm and Canary Island pines. The library served as the social center of the young community between 1930 and 1945, hosting the Woman's Club, art exhibits, lectures and recitals. The combined property was listed for its local importance in architecture, social history, landscape architecture, and community planning, and a later boundary increase added the park.
Significance in brief: The library was the social center of a small, developing community from 1930 to 1945 (Criterion A) and is a prime example of Myron Hunt's Mediterranean Revival design (Criterion C). The park is significant for landscape architecture and community planning as the city's only formal park and a component of the Olmsted plan for Palos Verdes Estates.
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 96000393, listed April 16, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2400 Via Campesina, Palos Verdes |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | April 16, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000393 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1928-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Hunt, Myron; Chambers, Harold C.; Olmsted, F. L. Jr. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Mediterranean Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Social History, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Building and grounds remain virtually unchanged since opening; the library is now a branch of a larger library district, with some deferred maintenance noted, and both library and park still serve their original purposes. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 33.79955, -118.38775 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 96000393.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65043795
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.