Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County

San Francisco Bay/Delta/Sacramento area, San Francisco Bay region

opened 1916
Public library from 1916-1961
demolished, 1961

grant amount: $2,500
architectural style: Other
architect: Randolph Hook

Walnut Creek's Carnegie was built as a branch of the Contra Costa County Library, one of a number of branches in the county's many smaller communities. A 1912 letter from the Antioch Women's Club spurred a visit by county library organizer Harriet Eddy, and a county library was established in Contra Costa County in 1913. In 1914 the County Library requested $7,500 from the Carnegie Corporation for libraries in Antioch, Concord, and Walnut Creek ($2,500 per building). This would remain the least amount allocated for a California Carnegie. Walnut Creek was the youngest of the three Carnegie branch cities, having incorporated in 1914. In Walnut Creek, the R. N. Burgess Company provided a free site at the corner of East and Main streets. Carnegie funding was granted in June, 1915. The building was designed by Randolph Hook. The Walnut Creek library was dedicated on August 22, 1916 and served as a library until 1959. It was demolished in 1961.