The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon has successfully reached their $3.5 million goal!
Update: November 15, 2022
Kronenberger and Sons Restoration continues to make big strides at 10 Upper Main Street. Inside contractors are busy with the electrical and hvac systems. The most visible progress is, of course, the addition in the back. With the challenge of the removal of the stubborn ledge behind us, the footings, foundation, and framing commenced at a good clip. Just last week the trusses were installed and roof sheathing attached. If you walk past on the north side of the property you can see where the beautiful new glass arched entrance will lead you inside. This accessible entrance will offer both stairs and a vertical platform lift to transport you either down to the new community program room or up to the original “ground floor” and the brand-new circulation desk and staff work spaces. The building committee has selected a beautiful new carpet and is still hard at work finalizing furniture, audio/visual, and other technology choices. Keep an eye on our Instagram account or the website photo gallery for frequent photo updates.
Work is on track for a late spring 2023 move-in date. We can’t wait!
Update: September 29, 2022
September was a busy month on the jobsite, dominated by the effort to remove the ledge right where our new Community Programming Room will be. That task proved much more difficult than pre-construction tests indicated. Controlled and monitored blasting was approved by the town building
official. Blasting mats, weighing many tons and made from recycled truck tires, contained the blast, controlling dust and debris. Some people around the Green reported feeling the blasts, each preceded by three short sirens. It took many days to cart the stone away. Finally, toward the end of the month and when the rain subsided, preparations began for the foundation. Footings have been poured and the foundation walls are in process. We are confident that the addition will be framed in before winter arrives.
Meanwhile, the exterior of the existing building has been cleaned and looks fantastic. Painters have applied the handsome new and more historically-accurate trim color to the windows and front doors. The windows themselves, which were taken off site for restoration, are due back very soon. Inside,
structural work continues to reinforce the mezzanine. The steam heating system will be replaced with efficient heat pumps and the radiators and steam pipes have been removed. Board committees continue to choice finishes and furnishings. We are so excited to see the work progress and look forward to returning to 10 Upper Main Street by late Spring 2023.
We are overjoyed….
Update: August 15, 2022
Construction is in full-swing. Kronenberger and Sons Restoration has been hard at work inside the building, since early June. The southeastern light well has been restored with original materials that were carefully stored in the basement for decades. The contractors carefully removed the windows in the four front rooms for restoration. They will be returned, refreshed and renewed, with the original glass intact. In July the buried utilities were carefully relocated and the electrical service was moved. Today site work began in earnest with Segalla maneuvering a giant backhoe in tight spaces. Preparation was made for a new front terrace and the excavation for the addition began.
The building committee is busy making selections for interior finishes and furniture.
We are overjoyed that construction is underway, funded by the community’s generosity. While the Capital Campaign raised over $3.5 million, we will continue to accept gifts. Perhaps you have been waiting to purchase a paver to remember or honor a loved one. Thank you.
Update: May 16, 2022
Kronenberger and Sons Restoration set up their field office in the Library and prepared for construction to commence. Kronenberger specializes in renovation of historic buildings and is the perfect choice to lovingly restore our beloved Bruce Price designed building.
May 1, 2022
McAuliffe Masonry completed restoration of our two chimneys. Working from a hydraulic lift. the mason repointed and cleaned both our stone chimneys, from the roofline up. The northwest, or front, chimney had 2 flues which are not being used and were covered with bluestone caps. The mason removed the caps, extended the flues approximately 4”, added a tapered wash to the top of the chimney, and installed heavier stone caps. These can be easily removed if the flues are needed in the future. The southeast, or back, chimney also had 2 flues. One is not in service, but the other is connected to the boiler. This chimney had already been altered by adding a new stone cap supported on 6 concrete block piers, one of which had collapsed. The mason removed the cap and remaining piers, repaired the existing sloped wash, and installed a new, low profile, stainless steel cap over both flues. The new cap is much less visually intrusive than the previous alteration.
This work was partially funded by a grant from the 1772 Foundation in cooperation with Preservation Connecticut.
Update: February 12, 2022
Please take a moment to look over the new elevation drawings for the library renovation as we look forward to an exciting new future for Hotchkiss Library of Sharon. Click on the images below to see a larger PDF.
Main Floor Plan
Lower Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
Update: January 1, 2022
The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon had originally hoped to begin work on restoration of the existing library and our new addition this past September. However, as the commencement date approached, construction costs began to spike while the availability of materials shrank, and we were advised by our construction professionals that it would be prudent to reschedule the start of construction for the coming spring. This advice is also consistent with our continuing commitment to be good stewards of the funds our community is investing in the project. The revised schedule calls for work to begin in March of 2022 and be completed 9 months later in January 2023. Fencing will be erected to surround the site in the spring when construction begins in earnest, but we hope that some interior restoration work could begin during the winter.
Widespread community support for this project continues, fundraising to pay for it is on track and, in the meantime, the Library is comfortably resettled in our temporary quarters at the American Legion at 15 New Street in Sharon.
August 7, 2021:
At a ceremonial groundbreaking today, the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon announced it is kicking off a capital campaign to raise $3 million for the Library’s renovation and expansion. It also announced that, to date, it has raised $2.7 million due to the strong support of its Board of Directors and other generous donors.
Lorna Edmundson, Chair of the Campaign “Honoring the Past, Forging the Future” said, “This outpouring of generosity bodes very well for the Library’s and Sharon’s future. We have been carefully planning this campaign for some time, working closely with the Library’s Building Committee. It is immensely rewarding to see this come together. The Campaign goal is set at $3 million – $2.7 million for the building project and $300,000 for our endowment. Building Project funds will about be evenly allocated to restoration/renovation and new construction.”
David Moore, Chairman of the Building Committee has been spearheading the effort to expand and renovate the Library. “There are many moving parts to a project such as this, including calculating how much the project will cost and how much we will be able to raise. Having already raised $2.7 million, we feel confident that we will provide the residents of Sharon a Library that will meet their needs for many years to come”. He continued: “The project will include a modest addition to the rear of the building which will offer a new, fully accessible entrance and bathrooms, increased space for children’s and community activities, and enhanced, innovative technology. The historic interior will also undergo a major refurbishment.”
“The success of the campaign to date has been made possible by the extraordinary generosity of a number of individuals, including current and prior Board members, who stepped up early in the process,” Edmundson explained. She added: “While we are encouraged by the results to date, we will need considerable help from the community if we are to reach our goal.”
The Library Board, along with the Campaign Cabinet, many Campaign supporters and Town leadership participated in the ceremony.
“This is a red letter day for the Library,” said Gretchen Hachmeister, the Library’s Executive Director, “Over the course of the next several months we will be offering tours so the public can envision what the new Library will look like, along with Zoom discussions about the project.”
“We hope that every resident of the Town will be willing to contribute in some way, either through direct donations or the purchase of pavers,” stated Edmundson. Information on how to contribute will be available, at the Library’s temporary quarters or on its website, www.hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org.
