Patterson, Stanislaus County

San Joaquin Valley/North area, Central Valley region

Carnegie Professional Center
355 W. Las Palmas Avenue
Patterson, CA 95363

opened 1921
Patterson Branch Library 1921-1976
currently a private office

grant amount: $3,000
architectural style: Classical Revival (Type C)
architect: DeColmisnil

In 1908 the heirs of pioneer rancher John Patterson established the Patterson Colony and laid out a town with a plaza encircled by broad tree-lined streets. Las Palmas Avenue is one of the radials; its palms have been replaced by Modesto ash. Located just a block from the plaza is the Carnegie building, Classical Revival with Spanish themes, designated a Patterson Historical Landmark in 1989 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Before the arrival of the railroad in 1887, the west side of Stanislaus County had been a sparsely settled area of large holdings. Patterson's heirs installed an innovative irrigation system and solicited settlers from the midwest to their colony where saloons were forbidden. In 1912 Stanislaus County Library established a branch in Patterson, and applied for Carnegie funding for both Riverbank and Patterson. Each community received $3000 in 1917, but construction was postponed until after the war; then the townspeople raised an additional $8000 to complete the library, designed by architect DeColmisnil and built by Burton Morgan in 1921. In 1976 the County built a new library and under terms of their donation, the land and building reverted to the Patterson Land Company . They in turn sold to private interests and the Carnegie has since served as a real estate office, artists gallery, and professional offices.