Construction Begins For Ames Free Library Children’s Wing Roof

Submitted to Easton Patch:

The roof restoration of the much loved Children’s Wing at the Ames Free Library has begun.  The elegant clay tile withstood 82 New England winters since it was built in 1931 by Fanny Holt Ames in memory of her husband William Hadwen Ames.

The property, which is listed in the State Register of Historic Places, received matching grants from the Massachusetts Historical Commission and from the Town of Easton’s Community Preservation Act, plus numerous individual donations. Additional funding is from the library’s Fanny Holt Ames Bequest.

During construction, library visitors are urged to avoid walking near scaffolding, use the temporary outdoor book deposit box, or take a bit of extra time to bring their items back into the library.

The William Hadwen Ames Children’s Library is one of the earliest and largest libraries devoted to children in the state. The room’s gracious alcoves, large windows, and dramatic story time space are indelible parts of many Easton children’s’ memories.

Services to children at the Ames Free Library have soared over the years with more than 6,000 attending 260 programs.  Circulation of children’s materials is 45% of all circulation at the library, almost 80,000 items a year.

The construction, supervised by James Thomas Architect, North Easton, is scheduled to be completed in May.  The contractors are Crocker Architectural Sheet Metal Company, North Oxford, MA and Aniceto Masonry Restoration, Milton, MA.  Additional consultants are Building Conservation Associates, Dedham, MA, and Boston Building Consultants, Boston.

For further information contact Uma Hiremath, Executive Director, Ames Free Library, 53 Main Street, North Easton, MA 02356; 508-238-2000, opt. 7.