Fullerton Museum Center (Old Public Library) - Fullerton CA

City:: Fullerton, CA
Site Type:: Education and Health, Libraries, Museums
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Started:: 1941
Completed:: 1941
Designer:: Harry Vaughan - Architect
Quality of Information:: Very Good

Description

In 1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a Public Library for the City of Fullerton, California. This replaced the existing Carnegie Library which was demolished to make way for the new building. The Public Library was built on the Carnegie Library site and on an additional plot of land just north of the original library.

The library was designed by prominent architect, Harry Vaughn. It structure contains two wings and two courtyards. He designed the building with a mix of style influences including: Moorish, Aztec, and Spanish Revival. Vaughn designed another WPA project in the area – the original Fullerton College.

The library was considered to be one of the most beautiful libraries in the area. It has stained glass windows, copper details, and a cupola. Additionally, the library was built to house 135,000 books – a capacity triple of the original library.

The Old Fullerton Library was repurposed in 1974 and to this day still houses the Fullerton Museum Center. It was renovated in 1986 so that it could accommodate larger exhibitions.