Willows, Glenn County

Sacramento Valley area, Central Valley region

Willows Museum
336 Walnut Street
Willows, CA 95988

opened 1911
Willows Public Library 1911-1969
currently a museum

grant amount: $10,000
architectural style: Classical Revival (Type C)
architect: C. N. Kittinger

At the corner of Walnut and North Plumas streets, in a primarily residential area, the old Carnegie building is an example of the Classical Revival "temple style," with the pediment supported by a cluster of three Corinthian columns at each end of the portico. A plaque, installed in 1973 by the Native Daughters of the Golden West, calls attention to the building's history as a Carnegie Library, while another plaque identifies the "Heritage Garden" at the front and sides of the building, created in 1988.

The oldest city in Glenn County, Willows also established the county's first public library in 1906, a project of the Women's Improvement Club. Next they urged Carnegie funding and $10,000 was granted in 1910. C.N. Kittinger designed the building, which was built by Graham and Jensen. After the library moved to other quarters, the building was designated a Bicentennial Community Project and it now houses the Willows Museum.