Henry Meade Williams Local History Department

...An inspiring journey from Carmel-by-the-Sea's bohemian beginnings to today's diverse community.

The Henry Meade Williams Local History Room is the archive and museum for the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Writers, poets and artists like Jack London, George Sterling and Sinclair Lewis came to Carmel in the early 1900's looking for inexpensive housing, inspiration and amusement. Later, university professors from Stanford and Berkeley, as well as practical shopkeepers, helped establish the small village of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Henry Meade Williams, for whom the local history department was named in 1992, exemplified the best of Carmel's past: creativity and culture combined with service to the community.

The Henry Meade Williams Local History Department is devoted to acquiring, preserving, and making available historically significant items concerning the history of Carmel-by-the-Sea. These collections include over 6,000 photographs, 2,000 books and letters, diaries, manuscripts, programs, maps, scrapbooks and works of art.

The department also maintains significant collections of

• Edward Weston photographs
• Robinson Jeffers poetry
• Early Forest Theatre posters