Forbes Library final reportTRUSTEES
- - Russell -W.- Carrier -- -
Bonnie M. Burnham
Peter N. Rowe
Jesse M. Adams
Marjorie R. Hess
August 11, 2010
- - DIRECTOR---- --
Janet Moulding
_ SECRETARY
FORBES I i b rar Elizabeth Barone
y TREASURER
20 WEST ST.
NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060 Scott Morin
Community Preservation Committee
Sarah LaValley
210 Main Street, Room 11
Northampton MA, 01060
To the members of the Community Preservation Committee:
The trustees, staff, and users of Forbes Library are extremely grateful to the
Community Preservation Committee for its support. The CPC was instrumental in
completing the project that returned the library's exterior to its original grandeur and
insured that the magnificent Forbes Library building would be sound and stable for
another century.
The Forbes Library building envelope restoration project started in 2005 as
relatively simple mortar repointing maintenance. However, the masons working on the
building quickly discovered that the stability of both the inner and outer load - bearing
exterior walls of the library had been severely compromised by decades of water
infiltration through cracked mortar and gaps in the roof. The project changed from simple
repointing to essential repair and stabilization of load - bearing walls.
Two of the Forbes Library building's four elevations were cleaned, repaired, and
repointed in city - funded projects completed in June 2006. The other two sides of the
building were left dirty with cracked stones, missing mortar, and a continual flow of
moisture between the stones which further compromised the mortar that binds these load -
bearing walls together. This preservation project was not cosmetic; it was structural and
essential to the integrity of the building and the protection of its contents.
We hope the CPC fully appreciates the importance of completing the library's
exterior wall restorations. Before the participation of the CPC, the project was not quite
half done, half the building was clean, beautifully pointed, and most importantly, stable
and watertight. However, two of the building walls and the entire roof were seriously
damaged. It was essential to stabilize the remaining foundation walls and repair the roof
to prevent continuing erosion of the structural system which would have eventually
undone the repairs of the first two walls and compromised the structural integrity of the
entire building-
P & P Contractors and historical masons, Monaco Restorations, carefully
removed the lower ten feet of the building's exterior load - bearing walls, repaired the
inner load - bearing walls, rebuilt the exterior walls, and repointed the entire two
elevations. They removed a leaking flat roof that had been added to the entrance portico
several decades ago and restored the portico's original sloping copper roof and
brownstone balustrade. They restored the entrance stairs which had become hazardous
over time. P & P Contractors oversaw repairs to the entire roof and installation of new
more energy efficient and handicap accessible entrance doors. Finally they cleaned the
exterior of the building and the interior of the entrance portico. This historic building now
stands as secure and as beautiful as when it was built in 1893.
It is a project the accomplishment of which the CPC and residents of
Northampton can be justifiably proud.
Sincerely,
- = ,.t o
Janet Moulding
Director, Forbes Library