Pre-Thanksgiving update

The following pictures were taken on the morning of Tuesday, November 20th.

Much of this weeks masonry work will focus on the side of the building.




As you can see, there is a lot of area to cover.




Our masons seem very much up to the task.



Here is a peek of the back of the building. As you can see, many of the doors are already being put in place.

In the front of the building, the work is nearly done.

Architectural elements such as the round window and arched door will make this building stand out among its neighbors.

Inside, the designs of the spaces are more and more visible.

Our community room is receiving ample amounts of insulation.

. . . and did I mention that our skylights are in. We have three identical skylights down the center of the building. Aren't they pretty?

Evolution of an entrance

For obvious reasons, we wanted the entrance of this library to be striking. It has taken many months to bring it to this point.






As the masons worked their way up the front, a form was placed at the top of the doorway.


This allowed workers to place the contoured stone into position above the door.

Once the doorway arch was completed, they wasted no time positioning a similar form in the void designated for the window.

Both forms were kept in place as the workers finished the front entrance of the building.

. . . and now the reveal !!!

a peek inside

As one crew finishes drying-in the roof and another does masonry works outside, a third crew has been working hard to frame the inside.

Soffit is being prepared to the height specifications of different areas of the library. The ceiling in this new building will be 13 feet or higher.

The saw below is constantly running, creating new pieces to the internal puzzle. The smell of cut metal is ever present for now.

This area will soon become the Berea room. The tin ceiling and light fixtures from the old building will be incorporated into this room's final design.

Although not as large as the Richmond location, this building will NOT be small.

Unlike the Richmond location, we will have three wonderful skylights in our ceiling.

The naturally lit reading room, complete with fireplace, will also be very nice.

The arched area to the right is our Children's area. The area on the left will be our Young Adult area. Our intent is that this new building will have much to offer the public. I believe that these elements will be a great start.

Brick two, Block one, Brick two . . .How to Build a Wall

To all those that have been wondering when the site will begin to look like a library, I say cast your eyes back to 319 Chestnut Street. No longer just a big hole in the ground, it does officially look like something now.



For the past few weeks, masons have been working at a rapid pace to make this a visually striking building. The following photos taken over this period show this eyecatching transition.
Block one, Brick two, Block one, Brick two . . .

The patterns begin to develop in seemingly random areas throughout the structure as if a great jigsaw puzzle is being fitted together.

Everywhere you look, brick scales its way up walls.

Scaffolding arises where necessary as the design continues skyward.

Insulation and waterproofing is found throughout this building both inside and out. We want no more moldy library areas!

A week later, the progress is very satisfying.

Patterns become more evident. The building looks more striking with every brick added.

Special features have also began to take shape, such as an arch above the doorway . . .

and decorative stones at the top of the building.

The outside will be finished before we know it.

Under roof and ready for more . . .

I would be lying if I didn't admit to being excited at the sight of masonry being applied to the library's exterior. This week there was much to be excited about.

The building's pattern is quickly emerging along the front as brick builds up alongside block. The visual appeal is already beginning to show through.

Inside rooms are more clearly identifiable. The arch above the children's area is, in a word, striking. The young adults will no doubt be interested to know that they will have their own dedicated area with a dramatic view of the garden at the front of the building.

The workroom, offices and Berea Room are also being framed in. Now that these are clearly marked, I can see for the first time the scale of this building.

Did I mention that there are THREE skylights along the ceiling? For those who were not aware, our old library occupied a former car dealership display floor. As sturdy as it was, it bore few truly striking features.

Yes, I have become fixated on the view from the Reading Porch. Below is yet another photo of what may end up being one of the building's best features, a reading area that looks out into the trees behind the library.