SeeCalifornia.com

Among the common denominators that tie California cities to each other (and to other U.S. cities, as well) is the name Carnegie and some 100+ buildings scattered throughout the state, all built from grants awarded by the Carnegie Corporation between the late 1800’s and 1917, making many of these brick or stone structures over 100 years old.

From Auburn to Alameda–Sanger to Sonoma, these gracious buildings from another era often have been preserved as visitor centers, museums, and some continue to serve as libraries today!

Immigrating from Scotland, Andrew Carnegie worked in a factory when he arrived in the U.S.  He worked hard, always learning new skills till he one day formed and built the predecessor to U.S. Steel, known at the time as Carnegie Steel Company. With his wealth, he created a foundation with a grant process allowing cities to build libraries. Carnegie loved books, he loved to read, and he wanted everyone to have an opportunity to access books through libraries. Over 2,500 libraries were built with Carnegie grants, including 1,689 in the U.S. Carnegie lived 84 years between 1835 and 1919, and the granting process continued even after he passed away.

We’ve only visited a few of the Carnegie buildings in California but those we’ve seen are wonderful places to visit, serving as museums in Oxnard, Eureka, Anaheim, and in the townsquares for other uses in Sonoma, Santa Maria and elsewhere.