Felipe de Neve Branch Library is a branch library of the

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library system (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million residents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, it serves the larg ...

located in Lafayette Park in

Westlake, Los Angeles Westlake, also known as the Westlake District, is a residential and commercial neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California. It was developed in the 1920s, but many of its elegant mansions have been turned into apartments, and many new multi ...

. It was built in 1929 based on a

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonia ...

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing styl ...

design by architect Austin Whittlesey. The branch was named after

Felipe de Neve Felipe de Neve y Padilla (1724 – 3 November 1784) was a Spanish soldier who served as the 4th Governor of the Californias, from 1775 to 1782. Neve is considered one of the founders of Los Angeles and was instrumental in the foundation of San ...

, the Spanish governor of California who oversaw the founding of Los Angeles. The branch was opened on Felipe de Neve Day in 1929, celebrating the 148th anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles. The Felipe de Neve Branch was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in January 1984. In 1987, the De Neve Branch and several other branch libraries in Los Angeles were added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

as part of a thematic group submission.The Multiple Property Submission nomination explains 22 branch libraries but one, the University Branch, appears not to have been listed. 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 De Neve Branch, the application described the building as a one-story Mediterranean style brick building with a red tile roof. The street elevation is elaborately decorated with symmetrically arranged groupings of windows and black and white tile decorations in the shape of diamonds and crosses. The seal of the city made of mosaic tile is above the front doors. A horseshoe-shaped cast stone border of a floral design surrounds the top of the seal and doors.

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Felipe de Neve Branch
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History of the Felipe de Neve Branch Library 1929-1988

July 1929 Newspaper article on naming of Felipe De Neve Branch

August 1929 Newspaper article on dedication ceremonies for Felipe De Neve Branch

Flyer explaining the symbolism of the Hollow Wall Diptych at the Felipe de Neve Branch Library
{{authority control Library buildings completed in 1929 Libraries in Los Angeles Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Public libraries in California Mediterranean Revival architecture in California Neoclassical architecture in California Westlake, Los Angeles

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