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What a pleasure it was to visit with all the folks who came out for the Open House! There were around forty at any one time - families, couples, individuals - and I suppose we could come up with a total but haven't. The children claimed the raised semi-circular area, there was much exclamation over the taped area showing the size of our current library in relation to the church building, and everyone seemed inspired to imagine the library in that lovely, soaring space. Keep an eye out for the next event, October 4th. - Patti Mitchem The Friends of South Berwick Library is hosting an open house Thursday, July 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the former St. Michael’s Church to offer citizens an opportunity to see the building, which is now owned by the Town and slated to become the new home of South Berwick Public Library. 
The Friends of South Berwick Library is hosting an open house Thursday, July 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the former St. Michael’s Church to offer citizens an opportunity to see the building, which is now owned by the Town and slated to become the new home of South Berwick Public Library.
The open house will feature “imagination stations” where adults and children can help imagine the future library. Visitors will have a chance to explore the space and find out more about the project. This free event offers refreshments, children’s art activities, a poster contest and a book nook. All are invited. It is scheduled the same night as the Hot Summer Nights Concert at Central School so visitors can attend the Open House and then follow the path from the future library to the concert at the school.
Plans for a new library in South Berwick have been underway for many years. Population growth in the last two decades has outpaced the size of the current 1,500-square-foot library housed in the Jewett-Eastman Memorial building, a historic house that was once the home of Sarah Orne Jewett. It is not handicap accessible nor does it have the electrical capacity for computer technology.
Last year the Town purchased the two-acre property on Young Street where the former St. Michael’s is located. Built in 1887, it served as a church until 2008 when St. Michael’s closed in order to build a new church serving both St. Michael’s and Our Lady of Peace Parish in Berwick. The Young Street property offered the Town a unique opportunity because the church building had the potential to house a new, larger library for South Berwick, and it is adjacent to the business district and Central School, according to Town officials. The link to downtown and the property's size offer the potential for additional uses besides a library so the site can become a focal point for future revitalization of the downtown.
Since the purchase of the property, engineering and architectural studies of the church building have determined it can be modified for a library that will meet the needs of South Berwick. A Town-appointed Building Committee evaluated the options of building a new library or reusing the Church building, and recommended renovation. Their recommendation was based on the findings of the engineering and architectural studies and several other factors: renovation will result in a new library sooner rather than later; the renovation can be done in stages; the interior of the church is an inspiring, soaring space, desirable for an important civic building; and the renovation option ends up being slightly less expensive. The next step in the process will be for the Town to contract with an architectural firm for design development. |
