NORTH ATTLEBORO -- There will be a rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday to mark the nearly completed renovations at Richards Memorial Library. The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m.
on the front lawn of the library at 118 North Washington St. If there is inclement weather, it will be held inside. The event will follow the Leftover Turkey Trot ahead of the Santa Parade, Town Manager Michael Borg and Library Director Debbie Clifton said in a joint statement.
Town officials will deliver remarks and representatives from the Bristol Lodge A.F. & A.
M. and Grand Lodge Masons will also be in attendance. The rededication ceremony will honor a cornerstone laid at the library by the Masons on June 16, 1894.
This cornerstone was documented in the solemn rites of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was uncovered by library staff during the renovation project. "We're privileged and honored to be working with the Masonic Lodge on the dedication of the library," Borg said. The library work began with window replacements estimated to cost about $100,000 but ballooned into a much more extensive project.
This past spring, the town council voted to extend the scope of work to a comprehensive exterior repair project to secure the building’s envelope after it was discovered additional work was needed. Inflation that has hit the construction industry hard boosted costs. Council members in March supported an additional $986,370 for the project to bring the total budget to $4,924,365.
The new money came mostly from surplus funds for previous projects. The council and its finance subcommittee both unanimously backed the extra funding. The majority of the library project is being funded with $2.
1 million in bonding, $1.25 million in reserve funds from two fiscal years ago, and $122,648 in library state aid. The final scope of work included insulation, HVAC, and electrical upgrades, installation of a new accessible entry ramp, restoration of the historic chimney and roof, brick and terracotta frame repairs, gutterwork and stormwater retention, foundation and window repairs.
"Most of the improvements involve the infrastructure of the building, such as securing the envelope, bringing electrical up to code, framing and insulating the attic," Clifton said. "The biggest enhancement that is noticeable is the rebuilding of the access ramp outside. The library is now weather-tight, code-compliant, and ready for an improved layout of our collections, which is coming soon.
" The majority of the work was finished in early November, Borg and Clifton said. "The repairs and restoration were much needed and have turned out nicely," Clifton said. The library remained open and served patrons throughout the construction.
It's used by about 150 daily users of all ages. "The patrons are delighted to see this historic building refurbished and they were very grateful we kept the library open," Clifton said. "The construction team and library staff worked extremely well together to keep the building open.
Owner-occupied construction projects are never easy, but this has been a tremendous success." The project was endorsed by the North Attleborough Historical Commission and approved by the Massachusetts Historical Commission..
