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Overview

Burnham and Bliesner's 1903 Pomona Library was one of the earlier Carnegie-financed facilities in Southern CA. Its layout and scale fit Carnegie Corporation of New York typological standards, that became ever more consistent and codified as the decade of the 1900s went on. The Pomona Carnegie Library was relatively unusual in that it had its exterior completely renovated and updated during the Depression Era.

The building operated for about 62 years before being demolished and replaced by a new library.

Building History

Women of Pomona collected money to obtain books and library building by 1887. The first fundraisers were also active in the local floral club, and the first facility served both as a floral association meeting hall and a public library. This shared facility, situated in the Ruth Block Building, was given to the City of Pomona in 1890. Three rooms in the Union Building in Pomona became home to the library in 1892. The library remained in this location until a new library, financed by Andrew Carnegie, (1835-1919), the Pittsburgh steel magnate, was completed. (See Pomona Public Library.org, “Library History,” accessed 06/23/2020.)

By 1902, Pomonans had requested money from the Carnegie Corporation of New York for building a new building, and were granted $15,000 in that year. A competition was held and the firm of Burnham and Bliesner, who had recently won a library competition in Riverside, CA, emerged victorious. The library board selected their entry on 06/17/1902. The library board considered designd by the firms of Lester S. Moore of Los Angeles, Preston and Seehorn of Los Angeles, Dennis and Farwell of Los Angeles, in association of F. Davis of Pomona, and C.E. Wolfe of Pomona. Some elements of the Wolfe design were factored into the Burnham and Bliesner conception, for which he was given partial credit. The web site Carnegie Libraries.org stated "An octagonal central delivery room and other plans of local architect C. E. Wolfe were incorporated into the plans at the request of the city." (See Carnegie Libraries.org, "Pomona, Los Angeles County," accessed 10/13/2017.) The new library, then located at 380 North Main Street, opened to the public in 06/1903.

Interestingly, Franklin Pierce Burnham, (1853-1909) had once worked with C.E. Wolfe, in 1879, in an architectural partnership in San Francisco, CA. Burnham, had lived in Chicago and San Francisco, before moving to Los Angeles. He designed the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta and the Tabor Opera House in Denver, among other notable institutional buildings. Burnham also would design the Neo-classical library erected at Pomona College in 1907, two years before his death.

Building Notes

Like many Carnegie Libraries of the time, the rectangular Pomona Building had dimensions of 61x78 feet and stood on tall foundations that allowed daylight into the basement story. Burnham and Bliesner laid out a bi-laterally symmetrical design, with the central entrway located under a trio of arched openings. Of this trio of arches, the central one was the tallest. On either side of this central bay, two symmetrical bays on each side also featured three Romanesque windows. Each Romaneqsue arch had foliate-trimmed archivolts. The roofline was highlighted by an elaborate, layered entablature, above which was a molded parapet, the corners of which were trimmed by ornamental cartouches.

The Los Angeles Herald described the library's proposed floorplan in 1902: "The administration of the library will be from a central octagonal room, lighted from overhead, and in which the delivery desk will be situated. This room is entered from a vestibule on the left of which is the office and on the right the general reading room in the southwest corner. In the northwest corner is the reference room, connecting with the stack room directly back and occupying the northeast corner is the reference room, connecting withe stack room directly back and occupying the northeast corner and having a capacity of 20,000 volumes on one floor. Back of the delivery room is the workroom with a director's room above. In the southeast corner is located the children's room, from which opens a ladies' parlor...Ample toilet facilities are supplied on the main floor. In the basement are a number of unfinished rooms for future use." (See "Designs for Handsome New Carnegie Library Are Accepted," Los Angeles Herald, vol. XXIX, no. 159, 06/17/1902, p. 8.)

Alteration

The Pomona Library Board also received an unusual later cash award from the Carnegie Corporation of $10,000 for an addition to the 1903 building. According to the Pomona Public Library.org, "In 1912, the Library received a second Carnegie Foundation grant of $10,000, which added two wings to the library building, and doubled its size." (See Pomona Public Library.org, "Library History," accessed 06/23/2020.) This addition was completed by 1913.

In 1939, Pomona library officials received money from the Works Progress Administration to expand and renovated the original Carnegie Library. The exterior of the building had its styling updated, to a sober WPA Moderne appearance, although the original symmetrical fenestration was still evident.

Demolition

The Pomona Carnegie Library operated from 1903 until its demolition in 1966. A parking lot replaced the Carngie Library. The Pomona Public Library moved to a location at 625 South Garey Avenue in the Civic Center just south of the Pomona City Hall.

PCAD id: 21519