Roseville Historical Society’s Carnegie Museum
Jan 27, 2017 10:57AM ● By Style
Let’s see a show of hands: Who knows what group of people were the first inhabitants of Roseville? If your hand isn’t raised, it’s time to learn more about the history of this great city.
The Nisenan were the Native Americans who thrived on the land, now known as Roseville, for over 2,000 years. Discover this and much more at the newly renovated and reopened Carnegie Museum, Roseville’s first permanent history museum that now boasts new displays and collections.
Originally built in 1912 as the Carnegie Library, it operated for 70 years until the city constructed the current main library. When the Carnegie Library closed in the mid-1980s and the worn-out building was slated to be demolished, some concerned citizens formed the Roseville Historical Society (RHS) to revive the old building as a history museum.
“After many fund-raisers conducted by enthusiastic supporters, the old library was brought back to its former glory,” says Christina Richter, current president of RHS. “In total, the renovations took about five years, and the museum doors opened in early 1988. It’s operated as a history museum since that time, and in 2012 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its centennial birthday.”
Thanks to the diligence of the RHS, the museum has maintained its significance and integrity. Guidance has also come from its new curator—who has over 25 years of experience—Sharalee Falzerano.
Richter became involved with RHS about 10 years ago, as she was researching the history of the pioneering Fiddyment family. “I remember the first day walking into the Carnegie building and feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia,” she recalls. “My hometown library in Ohio was also a Carnegie building, and it felt a little like being a happy child in my beloved library once again. During all those years of research I also became enamored with Roseville’s history and wanted to be involved in any way I could to ensure our community’s history was preserved.”
Visitors and residents alike have enjoyed the Carnegie Museum’s benefits. It offers well-documented archives that provide valuable research opportunities, including over 100 years of book-bound Roseville Press Tribune newspapers.
Richter describes two recent instances in which families discovered priceless information about their ancestors. “Our research sources aided a Japanese family in connecting with their 1920 Roseville ancestors,” she explains. “During the holidays, a gentleman who lives in Carmel paid a visit to the museum. His ancestors go back three generations in Roseville, and he found valuable information in our funeral records...{discovering] important facts about his family that he would not otherwise have known.”
This spring, RHS is launching a program designed to bring students in from local schools for specialized tours of the museum; in October, they’ll host their annual fund-raiser, slated to be at Sierra View Country Club and planned as a 1950s murder-mystery mafia wedding.
Adds Richter, “With the renovation of the museum and new activities planned, [we’re also] looking for more volunteers.”