California Area Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California Area Public Library |
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| Type | Public library |
| Established | 1935 |
| Location | California, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°4′6″N 79°53′20.5″W / 40.06833°N 79.889028°W |
| Branch of | Washington County Library System |
| Collection | |
| Size | 15,242 items (2008) |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 10,042 (2008) |
| Population served | 10,640 (2018) |
| Members | 1,792 (2008) |
| Other information | |
| Director | Claudia L. Bennett (2019) |
| Website | www.calpublib.org |
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Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Station
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| Built | 1910 |
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| NRHP reference No. | 79002349 |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1979 |
The California Area Public Library is a special place in California, Pennsylvania. It's a public library, which means it's open to everyone in the community. This library is part of the Washington County Library System.
What makes it extra cool? It's located inside an old train station! This building used to be the Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Station. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This list includes buildings that are important to American history.
The library building is also recognized as a historic landmark by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. On June 18, 1994, a special marker was placed here. It tells about the important history of the California Boatyards.
History of the Library and Building
The Old Train Station
The building where the library is now was built in 1910. The Pennsylvania Railroad constructed it. It replaced an even older train station from 1885. This building served as a busy train station for many years.
The Library's Journey
The California Area Public Library first opened its doors in 1935. It moved into the old train station on May 24, 1958. This gave the library a unique and historic home.
However, in 1965, the library had to close. This happened because it didn't have enough money to keep running. But the story didn't end there!
In 1979, the library building was recognized as a historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1979. Just one year later, the Washington County Library System was created. The California Area Public Library joined this new system. This helped the library get the support it needed to reopen and serve the community once again.
