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Overview

The architect John Galen Howard had a very busy practice during 1900s and 1910s designing buildings for the University of California at Berkeley and other institutions in that city. One of his earliest designs off-campus was for a Carnegie Corporation-financed public library, opened in 1905. This graceful building did not last long, as it was torn down to erect a large facility in 1929. It was a victim of its own success, as the Berkeley Public Library had very high circulation figures, and a new facility had to be erected to accommodate a growing collection and voracious readers in the city. The new public library was completed in 1931.

Building History

John Galen Howard, the founder of the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, designed this small Carnegie-financed library for a site on the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Kittredge Street in Berkeley, CA. The land was donated by Rosa M. Shattuck. The need for a new library was strong, as was noted at a meeting of the Berkeley Library Board of Trustees in 1904. The Oakland Tribune reported: “The Berkeley Public Library has the largest circulation, for its size, of any library in the State, was brought out at the regular meeting last evening of the Board of Library Trustees. The daily average of books issued was 309, and on one day the number reached 536. The record meant the handling of 1100 books, a larger number than is reached in a large number of metropolitan libraries. It was reported during the meeting that owing to the severe snow storms which have been prevailing in Wyoming, there has been a delay in securing building stone for the first story of the Carnegie Library. Architect Howard advised that the stone be waited for even if another month has to be passed. The advice was finally accepted and it was decided to use stone on three sides of the building.” (See “Residents of Berkeley Dote on Books,” Oakland Tribune, 03/08/1904, p. 8.)

The library opened on the evening of 01/26/1905 with a program of music and speeches extolling the library, its history and its benefactor Andrew Carnegie. The Oakland Tribune said of the event: “To-night the new Carnegie Library of Berkeley is to be opened to the public for the first time. Its interior is finished, and arrangements have been made for a program of music and addresses to-night, in connection with the opening of the institution. It was decided by the library trustees at their last meeting to make it a condition of admission to-night, that all persons admitted be obliged to contribute either a book or the equivalent in money, the library thus to be swelled in equipment. The Carnegie library is a handsome edifice, constructed on Shattuck avenue near Allston way after plans drawn by John Galen Howard. The land on which it stands was donated by Mrs. Rosa Shattuck and the money for the building by Andrew Carnegie.” (See “New Carnegie Library Open Tonight,” Oakland Tribune, 01/26/1905, p. 10.)

Demolition

The library was demolished in 1929 to make way for a larger library.

PCAD id: 6167