2025 Historic Preservation Work | Fletcher Free Library

FFL has embarked on a historic preservation construction project for our 1904 Carnegie building, which is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

The Library remains open during regular hours!

This exterior work will address deteriorating windows, brick, terracotta, granite, and gutters. Work will continue through December 2025.

As work moves around the Carnegie wing, specific areas of the library may close to the public for periods of time. Stay tuned to this page, or our Facebook & Instagram accounts for the latest updates. Updates are also included in our newsletter.

TEMPORARY CLOSURES:

Local History Room will be closed beginning December 8.

PROJECT UPDATES:

June 2: South windows are papered to prevent exterior dust from entering the building. Affected rooms are Local History, Admin Offices, Youth Stairwell, and Community Room.
June 25: Windows have been removed in the basement & Youth Areas! Window radiators were discovered hiding in the sills.
July 7: Abatement work is being done in the Youth Area West Wing. Gentle demo work on brick, granite, and terracotta continues, removing decayed mortar to prepare for new aggregate.
July 15: The West Wing of the Youth Area reopens.
July 17: The Local History Room will be temporarily closed through Tuesday while the last of the historic windows is removed for refurbishment.
July 23: Window removal from the Local History Room completes the removal of all historic windows from the building to be reglazed. Window area painting has begun. Repointing is also underway. This work will continue for the upcoming weeks.
July 31: Abatement contractors have finished work. South side repointing of brick is nearly done. Painter is sealing windows, window restoration continues offsite. Carpenter will be coming to address rotted window sills.
August 1: Abatement tent has been removed from front lawn.
August 6: Masonry work continues. Plywood on windows is being temporarily removed during window area painting.
August 13: Repointing terracotta, sealing and painting window areas. 1 1/2" gap at roof between Carnegie and 1981 wing was discovered and filled, hopefully reducing future leaking.
August 20: Repointing terracotta continues. Generator is creating a sample to match the bird screen spikes that are broken on building.
August 28: Investigative work has been conducted on the window sills. The carpenter has been matching and cutting wood pieces to replace decayed sections. Some measures that will be taken to reduce future deterioration will include a water barrier between wood and mortar, cleaned gutters and an added gutter on the south side, and a drip edge cut into the granite bullnose on south side of Carnegie building.
September 3: The window sills and jams that were milled to restore the decayed wood will be installed beginning this week. Masonry repointing has moved to the north side of the building.
September 10: The brick and terracotta repointing is 80% completed. The team is testing and comparing final wash products to determine best results. Dig Safe marked the street near the library in preparation for next week's test drill to determine where the underground rainwater infiltration system for the gutters will be positioned. The flue will also be cleaned out next week in preparation for a chimney liner.
September 17: The Chimney was examined by lowering a scope from above, in preparation for a liner to be installed. The first of the milled and painted sills are being installed in the Community Room windows today. The windows are anticipated to return from restoration in November. The masonry wash that will occur at the end of the project was approved by the State Historic Preservation Office. Today the team tested the groove they put in the bullnose granite on the south side to prevent water from rounding straight into the restored windows.
September 24: The new window frames in the Community Room have been installed. These windows on the building's south side were in the worst condition and some frames and sills required rebuilding. As they are preserving and restoring the windows, the team is sealing between the frames and brick and using zip tape--a water-resistive barrier--to ensure there are no gaps where water will penetrate.
October 1: The team is working on frame repairs and surveying all windows. The caulking of the frames will move to the west side of the building this week. The masons have begun repointing the redstone on the south side of the library with a beaded mortar.
October 8: Construction work on the 1904 Carnegie building continues. The redstone repointing work is complete. Masonry work now focuses on the granite. The team cut grooves in the bullnose on the south side to reduce rainwater damage to the windows.
October 15: The team is currently focusing on wood replacement, wood-to-wood caulk, and masonry. By the end of next week 70% of the wood repairs (the south side of building) will be completed. The work will move to west, north, and then east sides. Plywood will be added to the lower two feet inside of youth area windows to preserve heat and protect from dust during the wood repair work being done from the exterior.
October 22: The masonry work is nearly complete. The lower section is where most of the blackening has occurred; this can be caused by algae, mold, dirt, and pollution. Following the initial rinse done this week, there will be some cleaning by hand and additional washes.
October 29: The team will begin installing windows next week. Over the next month, stay tuned for brief temporary area closures during window installation. The project remains on target, with the fence projected to come down mid-December.
November 5: Sitework was done and the stormwater infiltration system is being installed. The first of the windows have been reinstalled.
November 12: Sitework has been completed. Youth east wing windows will be completed this week and the west wing (Picture Book City) windows will be reinstalled next week.
November 19: Youth Area windows have been installed. Basement and Community Room windows are being installed this and next week. Old chimney tiles are being removed and the chimney liner is scheduled to be inserted on November 24.
November 26: The plywood has been removed from the Youth Area windows. Basement windows are being installed. The new chimney liner was installed on Monday.
December 3: Window installation continues. Next week the Local History Room will be closed during window installation.

Thank you for your patience while we do this important work for our historic building!

Thanks to:

National Parks Service-Grantor Save America's Treasures

Vermont Historic Preservation-Grantor

Dore & Whittier-Architect

Neagly & Chase- Contractor

FFL has embarked on a historic preservation construction project for our 1904 Carnegie building, which is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

The Library remains open during regular hours!

This exterior work will address deteriorating windows, brick, terracotta, granite, and gutters. Work will continue through December 2025.

As work moves around the Carnegie wing, specific areas of the library may close to the public for periods of time. Stay tuned to this page, or our Facebook & Instagram accounts for the latest updates. Updates are also included in our newsletter.

TEMPORARY CLOSURES:

Local History Room will be closed beginning December 8.

PROJECT UPDATES:

June 2: South windows are papered to prevent exterior dust from entering the building. Affected rooms are Local History, Admin Offices, Youth Stairwell, and Community Room.

June 25: Windows have been removed in the basement & Youth Areas! Window radiators were discovered hiding in the sills.

July 7: Abatement work is being done in the Youth Area West Wing. Gentle demo work on brick, granite, and terracotta continues, removing decayed mortar to prepare for new aggregate.

July 15: The West Wing of the Youth Area reopens.

July 17: The Local History Room will be temporarily closed through Tuesday while the last of the historic windows is removed for refurbishment.

July 23: Window removal from the Local History Room completes the removal of all historic windows from the building to be reglazed. Window area painting has begun. Repointing is also underway. This work will continue for the upcoming weeks.

July 31: Abatement contractors have finished work. South side repointing of brick is nearly done. Painter is sealing windows, window restoration continues offsite. Carpenter will be coming to address rotted window sills.

August 1: Abatement tent has been removed from front lawn.

August 6: Masonry work continues. Plywood on windows is being temporarily removed during window area painting.

August 13: Repointing terracotta, sealing and painting window areas. 1 1/2" gap at roof between Carnegie and 1981 wing was discovered and filled, hopefully reducing future leaking.

August 20: Repointing terracotta continues. Generator is creating a sample to match the bird screen spikes that are broken on building.

September 3: The window sills and jams that were milled to restore the decayed wood will be installed beginning this week. Masonry repointing has moved to the north side of the building.

October 1: The team is working on frame repairs and surveying all windows. The caulking of the frames will move to the west side of the building this week. The masons have begun repointing the redstone on the south side of the library with a beaded mortar.

October 8: Construction work on the 1904 Carnegie building continues. The redstone repointing work is complete. Masonry work now focuses on the granite. The team cut grooves in the bullnose on the south side to reduce rainwater damage to the windows.

October 22: The masonry work is nearly complete. The lower section is where most of the blackening has occurred; this can be caused by algae, mold, dirt, and pollution. Following the initial rinse done this week, there will be some cleaning by hand and additional washes.

October 29: The team will begin installing windows next week. Over the next month, stay tuned for brief temporary area closures during window installation. The project remains on target, with the fence projected to come down mid-December.

November 5: Sitework was done and the stormwater infiltration system is being installed. The first of the windows have been reinstalled.

November 12: Sitework has been completed. Youth east wing windows will be completed this week and the west wing (Picture Book City) windows will be reinstalled next week.

November 19: Youth Area windows have been installed. Basement and Community Room windows are being installed this and next week. Old chimney tiles are being removed and the chimney liner is scheduled to be inserted on November 24.

November 26: The plywood has been removed from the Youth Area windows. Basement windows are being installed. The new chimney liner was installed on Monday.

December 3: Window installation continues. Next week the Local History Room will be closed during window installation.

Thank you for your patience while we do this important work for our historic building!