Woodland Public Library
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Woodland's Carnegie library is an L-shaped brick building with a basement, set in a park-like landscape of palms and ornamental trees near the Yolo County Courthouse. The original unit opened in 1905 with a $10,000 Carnegie grant, and San Francisco architects Dodge and Dolliver gave it Mission Revival styling, including arched windows, tile skirt roofs, a curved parapet with trefoil decoration and a shallow dome over a classical rotunda. A west wing by William H. Weeks followed in 1915, funded by a second Carnegie grant, and a north wing by C.A. Walton was added in 1927 with city money. The building matters for its role in the growth of California's county library system, since the west wing housed the Yolo County Free Library, which brought books to rural families. It is also valued as one of the few Mission Revival public buildings that remain largely unaltered and in their original use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the library is significant both historically and architecturally. It played a part in developing the county library system in California, serving both city and rural Yolo County residents. It is also a good, representative and largely unaltered example of Mission Revival design that still serves its original use.
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 81000183, listed September 28, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 250 1st St., Woodland |
|---|---|
| County | Yolo County |
| Listed | September 28, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000183 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Dodge & Dolliver (George A. Dodge and John Walter Dolliver); Wm. H. Weeks; C.A. Walton |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in good condition; still used as a library. The form notes few alterations since 1927, and a report concluding the unreinforced masonry would not withstand a major earthquake. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Woodland Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.67905, -121.77362 (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 81000183.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8032877
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.