Saratoga Village Library
Also known as: Book-Go-Round
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 at 14410 Oak Street, this one-story Spanish Revival building was Saratoga's first library. Local residents paid for it through a public subscription of $12,000, led by a citizens' committee under Sheldon Patterson and encouraged by the Saratoga Foothill Study Club, a women's group that had pushed for a library since 1909. Architect Eldridge T. Spencer designed it with concrete block walls over a wood frame, a red terra cotta tile roof, and windows placed above the bookshelves to give diffused reading light. Inside, one large room was divided into sections for adults, staff and children. The library served as the community's only library for 51 years, hosting story times, reading clubs, film nights and other gatherings. After a new library opened in 1978, the building remained a branch for five years and now houses the Book-Go-Round, a volunteer-run used book shop. It was listed for its role in Saratoga's civic and social life.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A in Social History at the local level. The library served as Saratoga's only library for 51 years and was a center of education and social interaction. It was funded entirely by local contributions, driven largely by women's study club efforts, and it is a good example of a prototypical small-town library.
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 06001238, listed January 17, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14410 Oak St., Saratoga |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | January 17, 2007 |
| Reference number | 06001238 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Spencer, Eldridge T. "Ted" |
| Architectural style | Late 19th/20th Century Revival - Spanish Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a library-related facility; since the 1978 opening of a new library it has operated as the Book-Go-Round recycled book venue run by volunteers. The form describes it as well preserved and regularly used, with high integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.25749, -122.03127 (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 06001238.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q123088432
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.