Carnegie Art Museum facts for kids
The front facade
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Owner | City of Oxnard |
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Oxnard Public Library
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 424 S. C St., Oxnard, California |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | Franklin P. Burnham |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000210 |
| Added to NRHP | July 27, 1971 |
The Carnegie Art Museum is a public art museum in Oxnard, California. It is owned by the City of Oxnard. The museum is located in a beautiful old building. This building was originally the Oxnard Public Library.
The building has a Neo-Classical style. It is next to Oxnard's Plaza Park. It first opened in 1907 as a library. In 1986, it was changed into an art museum. In 1971, it became a very important historic site. It was the first building in Ventura County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was also the first Carnegie library in California to get this honor.
Building the Library
How did Oxnard get its library? In 1904, Oxnard's first mayor, Richard B. Haydock, wrote a letter. He wrote to Andrew Carnegie, a very rich businessman. Mayor Haydock asked Carnegie for money to build a library.
In February 1906, Carnegie agreed to help. He offered to give $10,000 for the library. But there was a condition. The City of Oxnard had to provide the land. They also had to promise to spend at least $1,000 each year to keep the library running.
By September 1906, construction of the new library began. Mayor Haydock chose a Greek Neo-Classical style for the building. This style includes grand Doric columns. The building was designed by an architect from Los Angeles named Franklin Burnham.
Carnegie first gave $10,000. But the city decided to build a bigger, more expensive building. This new building would also hold the city's offices and city hall. In July 1906, the city signed a contract to build it for $14,000. Carnegie agreed to pay half of the extra cost. In the end, Carnegie gave $12,000, and the city paid $2,000. The library was on the main floor. Oxnard's city hall was in the basement.
The library officially opened on May 16, 1907. Just five years later, it was very popular. Oxnard's library had the "largest circulation" for a city its size in California. In 1923, the library got even bigger. A new three-story part was added. This allowed the library to hold up to 20,000 books.
Life After the Library
The building served as Oxnard's city hall until 1949. It continued to be the Oxnard Public Library until 1963.
In March 1963, the library moved to a new place. From 1963 to 1975, the old building was used for other purposes. It housed the Oxnard Convention and Visitors Bureau. It also held the Chamber of Commerce.
In 1977, the city received a special grant. It was $133,000 from the government. This money was used to fix up the building. On August 16, 1980, the building reopened. It was called the Carnegie Cultural Arts Center. This center was home to several groups. These included the Art Club of Oxnard and the Oxnard Historical Society Museum. It also held the audiovisual part of the Oxnard Public Library.
In 1986, the building became the Carnegie Art Museum. The City of Oxnard owns and runs it. In 2002, about 37,000 people visited the museum. It has shown art by many Southern California artists. Some famous artists include Michael Dvortcsak and Frank Romero.
The museum also has its own collection. It has over 1,500 art pieces and objects. More than 600 of these are paintings, drawings, and photos. Most are by California artists from the 1900s. Some artists in the collection are Millard Sheets and Leo Politi.
In 2019, the city thought about closing the museum for a while. This was due to city budget plans. Officials said the closure would be temporary. They hoped the museum would reopen when new downtown projects began.
A Historic Landmark
The building is very important historically. In February 1971, it was recognized. The Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board listed it as a heritage landmark.
In July 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This made it the first site in Ventura County to receive this special designation.
See also
