South Bay : Library Joins List of Historic Places

The Palos Verdes Peninsula has officially made history, or at least one of its libraries has.

The 65-year-old Malaga Cove branch in Palos Verdes Estates has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

With its red tile roof and wrought-iron grill work, the Mediterranean Revival building was designed by Myron Hunt, a regionally renowned architect who also directed construction of the original Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.

Alice La Mar, a 35-year area resident, was one of a handful of local residents who launched a campaign for the recognition in 1993 amid rumors that the library could be closed as a cost-cutting measure and the building sold to a developer. The building still houses a working library.

“The reason we jumped into this was because we believed in the historical presence of this building in our city,” La Mar said. “We cared about the building and thought it ought to be preserved and not changed into an apartment house.”

The designation prohibits any major structural changes at the building unless approved by the state Historic Preservation Commission. Even then, such changes would have to be undertaken according to the building’s original specifications.