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IN 1906, J.V. McNICHOLAS PULLED HIS HORSE- drawn wagon up to the railroad tracks along the banks of the Mahoning River for the first time. He must have wondered what the future would bring.
After all, he had just left his job at the steel mill, b...
KSDK -- A historical landmark in St. Louis is
closing its doors. Central Library is due for a massive renovation and
restoration project -- one that will take two years.
Central Library has stood for almost 100 years; but even an
architectural masterpiece needs a little TLC. Central Library is built
to withstand the test of time, but not everything.
"Look over my left shoulder and see a chandelier that's not lit up. One
of the reasons is the electricity in this building is very, very old.
Some dating back to 1912," said Gerald Brooks, marketing director for
St. Louis Public Library.
To change all the electrical and plumbing, along with other renovations
and restorations, means packing time for library workers. That includes
the literature in the historical behind-the-scenes area, known as "the
stacks." The stacks consisted of seven floors of books in storage, with
the floors made of 300 pound panels of glass.
"The reason for that is there wasn't a lot of electricity when building
was built in 1912, so we got light from the windows to filter down
through the floors, so that's how we lit up the place," said Brooks.
The storage area will be reconstructed, the library's expansion will
allow for most of these books to be out on the floors. As for the
glass, the library doesn't want to part with it.
"We plan to build a glass wall out of it for the building when we reopen," Brooks said.
But before things progress that far: all books, every item in site,
anything that can be moved will be moved out. Four million items total.
The only thing the library can't move is The Lady in White. Is it
really that surprising a building this old would have a friendly
spirit?
"Some people have said that they've seen her. Some people have heard her," Brooks said.
The ghost may be interrupted, but St. Louis Library customers won't.
During the two year construction, library branches will still have
access to all of Central Library's books and CDs.
Central Library closes its doors at 5 p.m. on June 12.
__________________ Thomas J. Carney, President
800-599-6459, ext. 4004
DD 440-398-9004
The St. Louis Public Library Board of Directors has hired
library-moving specialist Carney McNicholas Inc. of Lorain, Ohio.
Assisting will be Brown-Kortkamp Moving & Storage of St. Louis.
__________________ Thomas J. Carney, President
800-599-6459, ext. 4004
DD 440-398-9004
Matt Hagan, Dennis Cleland, Nate Grant and Dan Rogan returned home this past SAturday after completing the installation and relocation of the St. Louis Central and Compton Branch Public Library. Congratulations to other CM staff, our local crews and Brown Kortkamp Moving and Storage for a job well done. We'll be back in 2012!
When
the 190,000-square-foot Central Library reopens, it will boast an
additional 70,000 square feet of public space. The building will house
3.5 million items — ranging from documents printed on Gutenberg’s
original press to an 1847 patent held by Abraham Lincoln. It also will
feature a 250-seat lower-level auditorium, several mezzanine levels and
a café.
A significant change will be the building’s main entrance, which
will face Locust Street on the library’s north side and look out on
Lucas Park.
McGuire said the project is intended to preserve and restore the
Cass Gilbert-designed building, built in 1912, while modernizing its
technology. Updates will include wireless networks for laptops and
smartphones. The renovation also will update the building’s mechanical
and HVAC systems and give it a seismic upgrade.
As part of the project, McGuire’s executive offices are being moved
across the street to the library-owned Farm Credit Bank Building at
1415 Olive St., which also houses Confluence Preparatory Academy. Other
items from the Central Library’s collection — about 600,000 pieces —
will be stored in the Compton Library at 1624 Locust St., opening
additional space in the Central branch.
CLR Consultants Inc., an affiliate of St. Louis-based development firm DFC Group,
was formed in 2006 to act as renovation consultant on the project. DFC
Group also oversaw redevelopment of the historic Old Post Office, which
was completed in 2007.
__________________ Thomas J. Carney, President
800-599-6459, ext. 4004
DD 440-398-9004
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Topic: Link to ST. Louis Public Library story
