3 - Venice Branch Library 610 California Avenue

3 - Venice Branch Library

610 California Avenue

The first Venice Branch Library was in a large storefront building at 1110 Washington Blvd. (later West Washington Blvd. and then Abbot Kinney Blvd.) at which time it was under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. After annexation of Venice to Los Angeles, the branch was added to the Los Angeles Library System. In 1930, the branch moved to a building designed by Witmer and Watson at 610 California Ave. In 1995, the Venice-Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch at 501 S. Venice Blvd. was built to provide more space. The original branch is now used as the Vera Davis McClendon Youth and Family Center.

The Venice Branch was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in June 1984. In 1987, the Venice Branch and several other branch libraries in Los Angeles were added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of a thematic group submission. The application noted that the branch libraries had been constructed in a variety of period revival styles to house the initial branch library system of the City of Los Angeles. With respect to the Venice Branch, the application described the building as a building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style made of masonry construction. The front entry has oak double doors with diamond-shaped panes and small wrought-iron lamps flanking the entrance.