Upland Public Library
Also known as: Old Carnegie Library
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Why it's listed
Built in 1913 at 123 East D Street, Upland's old Carnegie library is a one-story yellow brick building on a raised basement. Architect Homer W. Glidden gave it a projecting central entrance with two tall Ionic columns, wide brick pilasters, a dentil cornice and a stepped stucco parapet. Two shades of yellow brick emphasize the classical detail, and the unfinished rear wall was left plain to allow a future addition. It was Upland's first public building and served as the library until 1969. City offices and later a detective bureau used it, with only interior partitions and minor railings added. It is one of about a dozen Carnegie buildings surviving in Southern California and one of two left in San Bernardino County. Contractor John Gerry, who built much of Upland, constructed it. The building is now vacant and city owned, with plans to reopen it as a heritage and archival library.
Significance in brief: It was the first public building of the City of Upland and is one of only about a dozen Carnegie buildings remaining of more than thirty built in Southern California. It is also one of two surviving Carnegie libraries in San Bernardino County. It is a small but richly detailed example of Classical Revival architecture and reflects local civic pride in public buildings.
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 90001817, listed December 10, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 123 E. D St., Upland |
|---|---|
| County | San Bernardino County |
| Listed | December 10, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001817 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1921 |
| Architect / builder | Glidden, Homer W. (architect); John Gerry (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant but city owned; the city planned rehabilitation and renovation so it could reopen as a historical and archival library or heritage center. It last housed the police detective bureau. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.09876, -117.64939 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 90001817.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14681710
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.