California Area Public Library

California Area Public Library
Map
40°4′6″N 79°53′20.5″W / 40.06833°N 79.889028°W / 40.06833; -79.889028
LocationCalifornia, Pennsylvania
TypePublic library
Established1935
Branch ofWashington County Library System
Collection
Size15,242 items (2008)[1]
Access and use
Circulation10,042 (2008)[1]
Population served10,640 (2018)[2]
Members1,792 (2008)[2]
Other information
DirectorClaudia L. Bennett (2019)
Websitewww.calpublib.org
Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Station
Built1910
NRHP reference No.79002349[3]
Added to NRHPJune 19, 1979

The California Area Public Library is the public library serving California, Pennsylvania, and is a branch of the Washington County Library System. The library is located in the former Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Station, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

It is designated as a historic public landmark by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.[4]

On June 18, 1994, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission erected a historical marker at the California Area Public Library noting the importance of the California Boatyards.[5]

History

The building the library is located in was built in 1910 by the Pennsylvania Railroad to replace an older depot that was constructed in 1885.[6]

The California Area Public Library was founded in 1935, but moved to its current location in the former train station on May 24, 1958.[7] The library was closed in 1965 because of the lack of financial support. A year after the library building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1979, the Washington County Library System was formed, which was joined by the California Area Public Library.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "2008 Library Statistics", p. 55.
  2. ^ a b "2008 Library Statistics", p. 54.
  3. ^ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  4. ^ "Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Station". Landmark Registry - Public Landmark. Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
  5. ^ "California Boatyards - PHMC Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original (Database search) on December 7, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  6. ^ Canning and Zacher, § 8.
  7. ^ "Library History". California Area Public Library. April 2010. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
West Brownsville Junction
toward Brownsville
 Monongahela Division Coal Centre
toward Pittsburgh