Corona, Riverside County

Inland Empire area, Inland Empire region

opened 1906
Public library from 1906-1971
demolished, 1978

grant amount: $11,500
architectural style: Classical Revival (Type B)
architect: F. P. Burnham

The architectural significance of the Corona Public Library as Corona's only example of the Classical Revival style, designed by prominent architect F. P. Burnham, and built by S.L. Bloom, was acknowledged by its placement on the National Register of Historic Places. However, the building stood "boarded up and vacant while the city raged about what was to be done with the building" from 1971 to 1978. It was demolished in 1978 and the Heritage Room at the new library was "started as a compromise between keeping the city's history alive and having a new library building." Corona's library history dates from an 1893 WCTU reading room, replaced by an 1895 YMCA library, in its turn taken over by the Women's Improvement Club and finally transferred to the city in 1900. The early libraries occupied a succession of rented rooms until Carnegie funding of $10,000 was obtained in March,1905. This was increased to $11,500 due to the intercession of J. A. Flagler of New York, who apparently had ties in Corona in addition to being a close friend of Andrew Carnegie. Ground was broken in August and the building was dedicated July 2, 1906. The building was demolished in 1978.