Eureka Valley Library History

The Eureka Valley Renovation was completed on October 24, 2009.

The first branch building was the second branch in the system and opened on January 2, 1902. It was named the McCreery Branch in honor of Andrew McCreery who donated the land and paid for construction. This original neoclassical building was damaged in the Daly City Earthquake of 1957 and demolished. The site was used to construct a new building designed by Appleton and Wolford at a cost of $192,335 and opened on December 20, 1961. It was named the Eureka Valley Branch. In 1981 the Library Commission officially changed the name of the branch to Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library to honor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. Harvey Milk served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors until he was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone on November 27, 1978. In 2006 the City honored Jose Sarria, the first openly gay man to run for Supervisor (in 1961) by renaming the section of 16th Street adjacent to the branch as Jose Sarria Court. Jose Sarria is best known for founding the Imperial Court System, one of the cornerstones of the GLBT community.

Interior of Eureka Valley Branch
Eureka Valley Branch Library Interior c.1960s