Encinitas: Our History and People

CARDIFF-BY-
THE-SEA
BRANCH
LIBRARY
G
The Cardiff-by-the-Sea Branch
Library is located at 2081
Newcastle Avenue.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAPHNE FLETCHER.
On Christmas Eve 1913, thirty-eight people
signed a petition which read: “We, the
undersigned respectfully make application for
the establishment of a Free Circulating Library
at this place, the books to be placed in S. M.
Holbrook’s store.”
That store was the Cullen or Mercantile
Building at the corner of San Elijo Avenue and
Chesterfield Drive which still exists. S. M.
Holbrook’s name heads the list of signers. The
library opened on March 18, 1914 and Mrs.
Holbrook became the keeper of the books.
Since 1913 to the present date, the library
has had many homes, including a real
estate/insurance office, the post office, and from
there to the Scout House in Glen Park.
In 1947, the library moved to a variety shop
owned by the Maudlin family at 137
Chesterfield Avenue. That building no longer
exists. The Mauldins were the parents of World
War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin. After the
Mauldins closed their store in 1950, the
community’s library needs were serviced by a
bookmobile until 1960.
In 1961, the Jepson family constructed a
strip mall which provided a space for the library
at 2139 Newcastle Avenue. The “Friends of the
Cardiff Library” was formed in the 1980s and
this philanthropic group was instrumental in
getting the library moved to the Cardiff Town
Center. In 1990, a beautification grant from the
City of Encinitas allowed for an expansion.
The “Friends” continued its efforts to find a
permanent home for the library. With tireless
support from then-Supervisor Pam Slater-Price,
a grant from Hamilton-White Foundation and
tremendous community contributions, the new
library was opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony
on March 22, 2003 at its present location on the
northeast corner of Liverpool and Newcastle.
The building was designed by La Jolla
Architect Manuel Oncino.
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