Library History

Watsonville's Carnegie Library

This beautiful Romanesque edifice was Watsonville's first library building. Funded by Andrew Carnegie and designed by local architect William H. Weeks, it was constructed by the Granite Rock company in 1905. This library, fondly remembered by many Watsonville citizens, was replaced by a larger building in 1975.

In today's library, look for a display of old postcards showing the Carnegie library, donated to the library by local historian Betty Lewis. Read her essay on library history below.

The Grandfather Clock

was presented to the library by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks when the Carnegie library first opened its doors in 1905. On the pillar behind it, a plaque commemorates the library's founding and mentions the help of the Watsonville Women's Club in establishing the library. The Pajaro Valley Benevolent Association, the Odd Fellows, and the Women's Christian Temperance Union were other important contributors.

The Clock Face

Take a close look at the workmanship that went into making this 1905 clock. It is still working perfectly -- listen for the chime at the turn of every hour!

History of the Watsonville Public Library

By Betty Lewis

Reprinted by permission

As far back as the 1860's, Watsonville had a library or reading room. This was run, at various times, by the Odd Fellows and the W.C.T.U. in various locations, and then the city took over the library in 1895.

It wasn't until 1905 that a library building was completed with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. A grant of $10,000 was given in April of 1903 which signaled the go-ahead for the new library, but where to build it? At the time, there was an empty lot on the corner of Trafton and Union, next to Dr. Bixby's house, and owned by the good doctor. He offered to sell this lot to the city for $1,500 but there were some who thought the library should be in the center of the Plaza, and this started a debate that went back and forth in the local newspapers.

Judge Bockius came up with another answer - he would donate a lot on the corner of Maple Avenue and Lincoln Street, which was part of the Bockius tract. James Waters, local nurseryman, also offered to donate a lot on the corner of Lincoln and Fifth streets.

Richard Quinn, local realtor, had recently been sworn in as the new mayor following the passage of the city charter. The Board of Aldermen voted on a resolution to have a city election just to see where the people of the town wanted their library building. Mayor Quinn was for this resolution, but, at the last minute, had a change of heart. He decided the library should be in the plaza and there was no election.

"In consideration of the circumstances under which the resolution was passed by the Board, the mayor's veto is unexplainable, except upon the ground that he had truckled to the influence of a small coterie of San Jose politicians who are endeavoring to dictate the conduct of municipal affairs in this city," (The Pajaronian, Nov. 21, 1903).

Meanwhile, Will Trafton, who had lost the mayoral election by only four votes, had appealed to the State Supreme Court as to legality of the ballots. In June of 1904, the decision was handed down from the court that ten of the votes were erroneously counted for Quinn, making Trafton the winner after all.

On July 8, 1904, William A. Trafton was sworn into office as mayor of Watsonville. One of his first acts was to appoint a Board of Library Trustees: Mrs. Eva Dickerman, Mrs. M.B. Tuttle, Mrs. Abbie Morehead, Miss Charlotte Bockius, and Miss Vina Redman.

On September 1, 1904, the Board of Aldermen met and by vote rescinded the vote made previously to have the library placed in the Plaza, and voted to buy the Bixby lot, now priced at $2,000.

Two plans for a new library building were submitted by local architect William H. Weeks, and one by William Knowles of San Francisco. On November 9, the plans of Weeks were accepted; the building to be of cream-colored pressed brick and Arizona sandstone with a roof of California black slate.

The Granite Rock Co. won the bid for the construction of the building for $11,290. Carnegie had increased the grant to $12,000. In October of 1905, the doors swung open to the public - over two years after the first letter had been sent to Mr. Carnegie.

The year 1934 saw an addition costing $14,023 to the library. In 1959 the YWCA Salvage Shop at the corner of Maple Avenue and Union Street was purchased for the sum of $20,000 and, in 1959, the property behind the library was purchased for $19,500.

In November of 1973 the Watsonville City Council approved plans for a new library measuring 16,750 square feet and costing $860,000, with Max Kappler and Robert Axt as architects. The old Carnegie Library building was razed in November of 1975, and the new library building dedicated in 1976.

Librarians over the years have been: Belle Jenkins, Lucy Bliss, Gladys Andrews, Edith S. Simons, Carma Zimmerman, Dorothy Chandler, Muriel Mitchell, Elizabeth Collins, Marie Delmas, Seely Sumpf, Vivian Hurley, Deborah Barrow, and Carol Heitzig.

In this day and age of television, videos, etc., libraries have had stiff competition, but they are still a viable and important part of our society. They are needed not only for people to check out books to read, but for educational purposes: speakers, book signings, social affairs, story time, research, displays, and genealogy.

History Mosaics

The mosaics on the west side of the Main library building were added in 1984. They were originally created as part of Watsonville's Outdoor Art Gallery, a project of the City Beautification Committee in the 1960's.

Watsonville High School art teacher Bertram Spencer directed the project; students in his advanced fine arts class designed the murals, and volunteers of all ages undertook the painstaking work of setting the tiny tiles in place.

The murals represent scenes from local history: Ohlone people cooking fish, Spanish Conquistadors admiring golden hills, the coming of the railroad, and the early whaling industry.

The Cornerstone of the original Carnegie Library

The cornerstone of the 1905 library can be seen in the courtyard garden of today's building. From inside, through the window, you may be able to make out the words on the white painted face of the stone -- "a gift from Andrew Carnegie." The stone is hollow. Many Carnegie libraries placed letters and documents in that empty space for posterity to discover. Ours contained a metal box holding papers and 1905 coins. The papers list the founding library trustees, city Board of Aldermen, and educators. The charter of the Watsonville Women's Club, founded in 1899 as a literary and social club and to "benefit the public library", had also been placed in the cornerstone of the library they helped to create.

Freedom Branch Library

The Freedom Branch Library became part of Watsonville Public Library in 1996. Architects Noll and Tam remodeled the old Freedom Firehouse at 2021 Freedom Boulevard to house the branch in the year 2000. In keeping with Watsonville's tradition of sponsoring public art, paintings by James Carl Aschbacher brighten indoor and outdoor walls of the library buildings.