Housatonic — Located at 1087 Main Street, the 117-year-old Ramsdell Library is one of the two buildings in the Great Barrington Library system, along with the Mason Library.
Built in 1908 as a gift to the town by T. Ellis Ramsdell, the son of Theodore Ramsdell who owned Monument Mills, the Ramsdell Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Residents have been calling for library renovations since at least 2009, and while various plans have been developed over the years, each has fallen through.
In 2018, the library system’s Board of Trustees hired Rob Cullin of Kimberly Bolan and Associates (now Re-Thinking Libraries) of Fort Collins, Colo., as a consultant to plan out potential renovations.
Cullin presented his report back in August 2018.
At the annual Town Meeting in May 2024, residents approved the trustees’ request for $150,000, a statutory requirement from the state to apply for a Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program grant. The funds were also used for the planning-and-design phase services for library improvements.
At a meeting on Thursday, December 18, the town’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) reviewed an application for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds made on behalf of the Library Board of Trustees. The application for CPA funding was completed by Board of Trustees Treasurer Ruby Chang.
According to the application, the Board of Trustees has been awarded a Massachusetts Public Library Construction Project grant which will cover up to 60 percent of total costs for the planned renovation project.
The board is now requesting CPA funding of $1.5 million, distributed over three to five years, to cover costs associated with the renovation that align with the CPC’s priorities for preservation and accessibility in historic structures.
According to the application, improvements in the planned renovation would include:
- The installation of an elevator that would make all floors of the library accessible;
- The restoration of the library’s second-floor community and performance space, along with the creation of a catering area;
- Updated bathrooms, door openings, drinking fountains, and stacks;
- Additional meeting rooms;
- An option for a Telehealth facility;
- An outdoor reading porch;
- Additional meeting rooms; and
- A sensory and comfort room.
As listed in the application, project architects Perry Dean Rogers Architects of Boston estimate the total cost of construction at approximately $1.94 million. However, the estimate does not account for “hidden costs such as deterioration of existing structure” or other elements including professional fees and insurance, furnishings, land acquisition, and other costs.
The application does not provide a total project cost estimate that includes additional expenses beyond the $1.94 million construction estimate.
The CPC is scheduled to deliberate and vote on Tuesday, January 13, on which projects it will recommend to Town Meeting for CPA funds.
Click here for the CPA application as submitted to the Community Preservation Committee.
