San Francisco Landmarks

San Francisco Landmark #240: Presidio Carnegie Library 2 January 2012
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San Francisco Landmark #240
Presidio Carnegie Library
3150 Sacramento Street
Built 1921

The Presidio Carnegie Library is one of four Carnegie branches designed by G. Albert Lansburgh. The other three are: Chinatown, Mission and Sunset.

This is the last and largest of the seven Carnegie Branch Libraries built in San Francisco. All seven buildings continue to operate as libraries (see map).

From a San Francisco Public Library press release dated 8 March 2011:

San Francisco Public Library will celebrate the reopening of the restored Presidio Branch Library on Saturday, March 26.

The 90-year-old landmark library building underwent a sensitive historic restoration and renovation that was designed and built to meet silver certification standards or greater under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system....

The Presidio Branch is one of the city's most historic libraries. With library service established in 1898, Presidio was the sixth branch of the San Francisco Public Library system.

The current building is an Italian-Renaissance-style landmark building that was completed in 1921, designed by G. Albert Lansburgh and funded by Andrew Carnegie.

The completed historic renovation includes a restoration of the building's beautiful, ornate exterior terra cotta façade and stairs. Interior renovation highlights include new pendant light fixtures that fit with the historic grandeur of the building, refurbished original wood shelving, and the designation of a new teen area in the library.

Other features of the project include an interactive learning area in the children's room and the refurbishment of the downstairs community meeting room. The addition of new restrooms, more computers and more functional and ergonomic staff work areas were also part of this project.

Carnegie Free Libraries in San Francisco
Chinatown, Golden Gate Valley, Mission, Noe Valley, Presidio, Richmond, Sunset

Carnegie Free Libraries in Oakland
23rd Avenue, Alden, Golden Gate, Melrose

Some Other Carnegie Free Libraries in California
Alameda, Bayliss, Biggs, Colusa, Corning, Eureka, Ferndale, Gilroy, Grass Valley, Gridley, Hanford, Healdsburg, Hollister, Lincoln. Livermore, Lompoc, Nevada City, Orland, Oroville, Oxnard, Paso Robles, Patterson, Petaluma, Riverbank, Roseville, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo Santa Cruz, Sonoma, South San Francisco, St. Helena, Turlock, Willits, Willows, Woodland, Yolo, Yreka

Some Other Carnegie Free Libraries in the West
Beaver, Utah; Coos Bay, Oregon; Medford, Oregon; Panguitch, Utah

For more information about these and other Carnegie Free Libraries, visit the website Carnegie Libraries of California.

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