Vermont Square Branch, Carnegie library branch in Vermont Square, Los Angeles, United States.
Vermont Square Branch is a library branch featuring Renaissance Revival and Mediterranean Revival architecture with brick and terracotta facade details. The building at West 48th Street includes reading areas, computer stations, and community spaces organized within its classically designed structure.
Built in 1913, this building is one of three remaining Carnegie libraries still operating within the Los Angeles Public Library system. Its long history reflects the evolution of public library services in the city over more than a century.
The branch's name comes from the Vermont Square district, and its 1913 opening drew hundreds of men, women and children who crowded in at six o'clock, forcing speakers to address the crowd from the charging desk. During World War I the local exemption board used the story room as its headquarters for 20 months, and in 1917-1918 the auditorium hosted 368 meetings.
The building is open Monday through Saturday with computer stations and wireless printing services available. Regular programs and activities for different age groups provide various reasons to visit throughout the year.
The 1913 opening drew hundreds of people, so speakers addressed the crowd from the charging desk because the auditorium could not hold them. The branch's first 2,000 books left most of the shelving for 16,000 volumes empty. Steel-tipped chairs on bare cement made such a racket that the lack of cork carpet was noted as the day's one flaw.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,784 contributors worldwide.
