Chinatown Public Library

1135 Powell Street
Chinatown

The Chinatown Branch of the San Francisco Public Library started its life as the North Beach Branch.  It was changed in 1958.

Andrew Carnegie left the City of San Francisco, then under Mayor James Phelan, $750,000 for a main library and branches. One half was for the main library and the rest to be distributed amongst seven branch libraries.  The city paid the difference of $1,152,000.

Most of these seven branches have been enlarged very slightly, all have been retrofitted to modern earthquake standards and all are included in San Francisco’s “List of Architecturally Significant Buildings.” All of the branches still serve as libraries.

The old North Beach Carnegie branch was the sixth of the branches built with the Carnegie donation and occupies almost all of the  70’x137′ lot it sits on.

The site was formerly occupied by a school and cost $68, 186.

The building was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in the Italian Renaissance style.

Gustave Albert Lansburgh (1876 1969) was largely known for his work on luxury cinemas and theatres. He was the principal architect of theaters on the West Coast from 1900 – 1930.

Lansburgh was born in Panama and raised largely in San Francisco. After graduating from Boys High School, he enrolled in UC, Berkeley. While a student there, he worked part-time in the offices of architect Bernard Maybeck. Upon graduation from Berkeley, he enrolled in the  École des Beaux-Arts, and graduated in 1906.

Lansburgh returned to the Bay Area in May, 1906, just in time for the building boom that would take place after the earthquake and fire.

First in partnership with Bernard Julius Joseph for two years, then in his own practice, Lansburgh designed numerous buildings in the recovering city. Among these was his first theater, for the San Francisco-based Orpheum Theater company.