A. K. Smiley Library
Alfred Smiley, a winter resident, joined efforts with his twin brother, Albert, to create a public library and adjoining park with the purchase of 16 acres in newly incorporated Redlands. Using their own funds, the library and park were built and dedicated in 1898. Architect T. R. Griffith designed the library in a style which has alternately been described as Mission Revival and Moorish Revival and includes a variety of elements borrowed from classical, Gothic, Spanish Romanesque, and Oriental themes. The Library was expanded several times over the decades and eventually the exterior was restored to its original red Moorish style in 2002. The Library is a California Point of Historical Interest and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Redlands, San Bernardino County
Images by Al Russell