Poised elegantly above shady stands of palms, the Latter Memorial Library was once a private mansion. The Isaac family – who owned the building from 1907 to 1912 and installed Flemish-style carved woodwork, Dutch murals and French frescoed ceilings – passed the property to aviator Harry Williams and his silent-film-star wife, Marguerite Clark (1912–39). The next owner was local horse racer Robert S Eddy, followed by Mr and Mrs Harry Latter, who gave the building to the city in 1948.
The bottom floor and the entire exterior facade of the Italianate beaux-arts building remain stately if a bit time-honored (read: worn).