Willits Carnegie Library
Why it's listed
Willits Carnegie Library is a one-story red brick building at 85 E. Commercial Street, completed and dedicated on October 5, 1915. Its Classical Revival design includes a low hip roof with projecting eaves, a high basement with square windows, tall arched windows, and a deeply recessed white terra cotta entrance with egg and dart molding, acanthus leaves and the words Carnegie Library incised above. Local contractor Dan Deshiell designed and built it. The library grew from a free reading room opened in 1905 and from the persistent efforts of the Women's Improvement Club, which sought Carnegie funding and raised money for the lot. Willits received an $8,000 grant in 1913. The building has changed very little since construction. After a new library opened in 1989, it became a cable TV studio and storage space, while the basement houses a boxing and recreation program. It is listed for its architecture and its place in the history of philanthropy.
Significance in brief: It is an outstanding example of Classical Revival architecture and is a well-preserved example of a Carnegie library. It also represents the history of philanthropy in Willits, where a local women's club led the effort to secure the library. It was nominated under the multiple property listing for California's Carnegie Libraries.
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 92001756, listed January 7, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 85 E. Commercial St., Willits |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | January 7, 1993 |
| Reference number | 92001756 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Deshiell, Dan |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Briefly unoccupied after a new library opened in May 1989; it now serves as a studio and equipment storage for the city's community access cable TV station, with a sports facility in the basement. The property is described as in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.41190, -123.35366 (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 92001756.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q56284477
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.