🏢 San Francisco Public Library — San Francisco, California

Mission Branch

San Francisco's very first branch library, this 1915 Carnegie building at 24th and Bartlett is a neighborhood landmark that survived the 1906 earthquake and fire.

📖 About Mission Branch

The Mission Branch traces its roots to 1888, when it opened in a storefront two blocks away as the first branch in the San Francisco Public Library system. Its permanent home at the corner of 24th and Bartlett Streets was designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh, funded by a grant from Andrew Carnegie, and opened in December 1915 at a cost of $50,877 for the building and furnishings; it was the second of seven Carnegie branches built in the city and is recognized as San Francisco Landmark No. 234. The branch is one of only a handful of library buildings tied to San Francisco's early history to survive the 1906 earthquake, whose ensuing fire stopped four blocks to the north. A major renovation from 1997 to 1999 added seismic upgrades, ADA improvements, and a redesigned first floor, and relocated the main entrance from 24th Street to Bartlett Street, reopening on May 5, 1999. The Bartlett Street building is currently closed for a further round of improvements, with full in-person service offered nearby at a temporary location on Valencia Street.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• The first branch ever established in the San Francisco Public Library system, dating to 1888
• 1915 Carnegie building by architect G. Albert Lansburgh — San Francisco Landmark No. 234
• Survived the 1906 earthquake, whose fire stopped four blocks to the north
• Currently closed for renovation, with full service at a temporary Valencia Street location

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