St. Helena Public Library
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 at the corner of Adams Street and Oak Avenue, this two-story library with a ground-level basement has served St. Helena continuously as a library. Architect William Corlett of Napa gave it Mission Revival features: stucco walls with decorative tie-rods, curvilinear gables and dormers, exposed rafters under projecting eaves, and semicircular arched windows and doorway. It was the town's first dedicated library building. Earlier library services had used several sites, including a front room of the Oddfellows Building in 1886. A $7,500 grant from Andrew Carnegie paid for it, on condition that the city buy a site and pledge upkeep, which a local bond issue covered. It is the only Mission Revival civic building in St. Helena, and Corlett also designed the Star Building and the Richie Block nearby. The library sits among churches and schools that have kept their relationship since the early 1900s. A replacement library was planned for 1979, leaving the building's future use uncertain.
Significance in brief: It was St. Helena's first library building, built with a $7,500 Carnegie grant, and is the town's only civic building in the Mission Revival style. It represents the work of William Corlett, a locally prominent architect who worked in several styles. It also anchors an unaltered cluster of churches and schools near the Main Street commercial district.
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 79000509, listed January 19, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1360 Oak Ave., St. Helena |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | January 19, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000509 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907 |
| Architect / builder | William Corlett |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and unaltered since 1907, in continuous use as a library; a new library was due in 1979 on another site, and future use of the building was uncertain. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.50433, -122.47079 (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 79000509.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q58126363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.