Richmond, Contra Costa County
San Francsico Bay/Delta/Sacramento area, San Francisco Bay Area region
Richmond Museum
400 Nevin Avenue
Richmond, CA 94801
opened 1910
Richmond Public Library 1910-1949
Carnegie Public Library 1949-1967
currently a museum
grant amount: $17,500
architectural style: Classical Revival (Type B)
architect: W. H. Weeks
The Richmond Carnegie building is an example of the Classical Revival "temple
in a park." The park is in a primarily residential area between Fourth and Sixth
streets, Nevin Avenue and Macdonald Avenue, north of Highway 580 and west of the
BART station, within a few blocks of remaining historic downtown Richmond. The
building itself is set back from the corner adjacent to well used playing fields.
The building was enlarged in 1923 and again in 1979, using original plans, and in
1980 the building was rededicated as the Richmond Museum.
It appears that at least two women's clubs were instrumental in the history
of the Richmond library. Before 1907 the Richmond Library Club (later the
Richmond Club) and the West Side Improvement Club of Point Richmond operated
subscription libraries which in 1910 joined to form a public library. The
WCTU is also credited with starting an early library, and the Richmond Women's
Improvement Club, forerunner of the Richmond City Club, purchased a lot contingent
on the city's obtaining Carnegie funding. A grant of $17,500 was promised in 1909.
Architect William H. Weeks designed the building. In 1952 the Richmond City Club
sponsored a Museum Association which stored artifacts in the library basement and
displayed them upstairs after the library moved. In 1975 the City Club transferred
the lot to the city to qualify for federal funding for Nevin Center, with the
Carnegie as part of the project.
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