National Register of Historic Places in Sonoma County
The Healdsburg Carnegie Library is significant both for its architecture and its history.
Designed by Brainerd Jones, it is one of only a handful of buildings in Healdsburg in the Classical Revival style, and it retains a high degree of integrity. It was the first permanent home of the city's library collection, and for more than seventy years it was Healdsburg's only public library.
This library is one of five constructed in Sonoma County between 1904 and 1916. By the time that Healdsburg sought funding in 1908, the Carnegie Foundation had reacted to examples of elaborate buildings and non-library functions by requiring greater economy of design. The Sonoma County Carnegie Libraries designed by Brainerd Jones for Petaluma, Healdsburg, and Sebastopol (demolished in 1976) demonstrate increased simplicity while reflecting community desire for significant public buildings stimulated by the City Beautiful movement, often expressed in the Classical Revival style.
In Healdsburg, the Carnegie Library is the only remaining example of a civic building of impressive architectural style.
Adapted from the NRHP nomination.
Alameda
Bayliss
Biggs
Colusa
Corning
Eureka
Ferndale
Gilroy
Grass Valley
Gridley
Hanford
Healdsburg
Hollister
Lincoln
Livermore
Lompoc
Nevada City
Oakland - 23rd Avenue Branch
Oakland - Alden Branch
Oakland - Golden Gate Branch
Oakland - Melrose Branch
Orland
Oroville
Oxnard
Paso Robles
Patterson
Petaluma
Riverbank
Roseville
Sacramento
San Francisco Chinatown Branch
San Francisco Golden Gate Valley Branch
San Francisco Mission Branch
San Francisco Noe Valley Branch
San Francisco Presidio Branch
San Francisco Richmond Branch
San Francisco Sunset Branch
San Luis Obispo
Santa Cruz (Garfield Park Branch)
Sonoma
South San Francisco
Some Other Carnegie Free Libraries in the West
The website Carnegie Libraries of California contains much information about these libraries.