"Heritage" is a word that should never be taken lightly. What was dreamed of and then built now must be torn down. Happens all the time in America, where "eminent domain" trumps treasure.
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| The little suitcases say "Public Library". And, then this...  AND, then this.....  "The cost of the lot and building was $383,594.53, about $7.7 million today. The Public Library contained 60,000 volumes, with an estimated capacity of 300,000. So why this building demolished? Talks for a new library building had already begun 30 years earlier when the book collection had started to outgrow the building. Books were stacked beyond reach. Ventilation was poor, the air stuffy. The paint was peeling..... "Talks for a new library building had already begun 30 years earlier when the book collection had started to outgrow the building. Books were stacked out of reach, the 19th century ventilation system was already failing and the paint was peeling." Past vs. Present? Restore a building with unknown huge amounts of money? Or, build a new one? Do you wonder what books were stacked there? They were packed and then stored until the new library was finished. Can you imagine what aged tomes might be in those boxes? This was originally from 2021, not that long ago. But it strikes me that all that knowledge and history is gone. |
Typical of any government or corporate entity, the past gets put in storage until everyone has forgotten, then it gets trashed.
ReplyDeleteApparently the building was in terrible shape, needed fixing up or demolishing. A sad thing of history to go by the wayside.
DeleteHow sad. Indeed I think the loss of a library is a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI have wondered how many of those books could be saved?
Deletewe have 6 library's here and they are now asking in a survey what people want to do, they want to tear down the main library and build a hotel there. our entire town in the past 40 years has grown at an alarming rate and the newest thing the city council did was approve changing the height of buildings from 8 stories to 12 stories and the builders went to two of the 8 story condos and added 4 more stories to each. On the survey I said did any of you think of where those extra cars will park and where how they will be able to leave their homes? we are not NY with busses and cabs, we are a small town gone wild
ReplyDeleteThis happens too often. Tear down the old, put up the new? I think Ireland respects their past.
DeleteOh how I wish I had access to all those books. I would have been in heaven.
ReplyDeleteJust to jumble through them would be look into the history of that time? Wow.
DeleteWe've been blessed here, they built the new building, moved everything, then demolished the old (which had asbestos and was unsafe). It wasn't old enough to be a treasure and was mostly just a big square, and the new is amazing.
ReplyDeleteGlad the old bldg had so many health problems to repair.
DeleteOne of the candidates for city council had an idea to charge people to use the library. I did not vote for him.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to him?
DeleteOh, I miss the old public libraries. The smell of old books, and the quietness when browsing through all those sections. These are charming photos from the past. We still have a library here in town, but haven't been inside since moving here. "Heritage" is an ever lasting word.
ReplyDeleteHave a good month of April.
~Sheri
Good memories. I remember the first time I went to the library. Grandma Cardiff took me, got me a card. What you described is my experience.
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