South San Francisco, San Mateo County

Monterey to San Francisco area, San Francisco Bay Area region

Grand Avenue Library
306 Walnut Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080

opened 1916
Public library from 1916-present
currently a public library

grant amount: $10,000
architectural style: Classical Revival (Type A)
architect: W. H. Weeks

South San Francisco's Classical Revival Carnegie and historic cupolaed City Hall occupy a parklike setting on a steep block on the north side of Grand Avenue, the main thoroughfare, between Maple Avenue and Walnut Avenue. Entrance to the library has been moved up the hill permitting ground level access to both the old building and the 1953 addition at Walnut Avenue and Miller Avenue. The Grand Avenue entrance with its steep stairs remains but is no longer used.

Apparently no South San Francisco library existed prior to the Carnegie application. One source related that local residents believed Carnegie funding required the signature of every resident and that Rue Randall Clifford, the first high school teacher, obtained the signatures going "all over the town by horseback." Carnegie funding of $10,000 was offered in 1914. W.H. Weeks designed the building, and O'Rourke and Grady were the builders. The new addition was placed so as not to distract from the Grand Avenue vista of library, city hall, fountain and park. The building was designated a local Historic Resource in 1986.