Stone Ridge Library
Construction Updates
August 2012 - September 2016
‹ Return to Main Website
The work shown below, and more, wouldn't be possible without you.
Thank you for your support!
To make a secure donation click the Donate button at right…
September 14, 2016
Al Brooks power washing the front porch on the 1811 building, prepping for scraping and painting.
September 7, 2016
The 1811 building is being scraped and having a primer coat of paint put on by Five Star Exteriors.
August 24, 2016
John and Michael have finished up repairing the corner of the 1811 building and have replaced some of the siding. Scraping and painting are next.
August 18, 2016
Starting to put up replacement siding.
August 8, 2016
John Saldi and his son Michael used pressure treated wood for the repairs. They cut away the old rotten wood and sistered the new to the old chestnut beam.
John found some cavities next to the chimney in the Fiction room, that just seemed to be rubble.
August 3, 2016
The new post is in place, sistered into the old (not rotten) post at the top. It is bolted together using the bolts from the old butresses. Some of the siding will have to be replaced, it will be detailed to match the existing siding.
August 1, 2016
Marbletown Community Surpasses Challenge
An anonymous donor's matching grant ignited a fabulous reply from the Stone Ridge Library community.
The $2,500 challenge grant had to be matched by August 1st. In-person, mail and online donations not only met the deadline, but also more than doubled the challenge amount. The generous Stone Ridge Library community contributed more than $7,000 beyond the original grant!
The Stone Ridge Library Foundation Board of Trustees thanks everyone who gave toward this project. With these funds, the Library can move forward with repairs and paint for the 1811 building, which houses our children's library. We also have a head start on paying for other repairs that that building needs, such as insulating the floor of and building and installing historically accurate windows for that space.
July 19, 2016
John Saldi has opened up the northeast corner of the 1811 house to expose one of its problems. The corner post is so rotten that you can pick off chunks of it. The post will be replaced
and the corner repaired before the painting begins.
July 19, 2016
Senator Amedore Secures Funding for Library Project
Senator George Amedore, Republican representative in the 46th Senatorial District, has announced that he has secured a grant for $50,000 for the Stone Ridge Library Children's Room Expansion Project. The project is the centerpiece of the Library's renovation and restoration work in the 1811 building that houses the children's wing.
"Libraries are the cornerstones of our communities, and it's important that they have the necessary resources to continue to provide vital services to our residents," said Senator George Amedore. "Instilling an early love of reading in our young children is especially important, and I am so happy to secure this funding for the Stone Ridge Library's Children's Room expansion. Their programs and services are already first rate, and this renovation will give our children a wonderful new space to enjoy everything the library has to offer."
The Children's Room Expansion project reflects approximately one-third of the $300,000 anticipated budget for the completion of Phase Two of the Library's overall restoration—the restoration and repairs of the Library's 1811 building.
The proposed design includes an expansion and renovations to the existing space dedicated to children's group activities and will also provide a gathering space for approximately 20 people for library programs. The plan includes an ADA bathroom and a small kitchenette utilizing an existing storage area. Repairs to the exterior steps and porch are also included in the plan. The estimated budget for the project is $97,680, according to James and Karin Reynolds Architects.
"We were so pleased when the Senator called to say that he had secured funding for the Library," said Director Jody Ford. "This generous award of $50,000 makes a significant contribution to our fundraising efforts, boosting our budget as well as our spirits as we move forward in our library restoration work."
The first phase of restoration project, also budgeted at $300,000, now completed, concentrated on the stabilization and restoration of the "older" building, a 1798 stone house, where Circulation and public program activities take place and public access computers are located.
"Children's services are fundamental to the Stone Ridge Library's mission," said Library Board President Susanne Warren. "In 2015 the Library hosted 121 children's programs, attended by 2,221 children and 881 young adults." "We are delighted to learn of Senator Amedore's support in our ongoing effort to serve the community.
The Stone Ridge Library, chartered in 1909, is situated on historic Main Street, Route 209 in Stone Ridge and is a member of the Mid-Hudson Library System.
April 18, 2016
John Saldi has been working on the windows in the upstairs Local History Room. The windows had been re-made and John made the window wells, using the old wood as much as possible.
January 28, 2016
John Saldi has installed a new door in our foyer. It's glass, so you can see if someone is on the other side. Bringing more light into the Circulation Desk area is a bonus.
December 21, 2015
More drainage pipes are being laid to continue the project we started two years ago. These will tie in to the exsisting
French drain system. Note the new siding on the south side of the 1798 building.
November 18, 2015
November 16, 2015
John and Eli are putting up the new siding. Our new color looks great and we can already feel the difference in the temperature inside.
November 9, 2015
The wall was wrapped in Typar and cellulose insullation has been blown into this wall as well as the southern wall.
Johns helper Eli is putting a base coat on all the surfaces of the siding.
November 6, 2015
New plywood.
November 4, 2015
John is preparing to re-side the western wall of the Library this week. It was in bad shape and we had some leaking across from the circulation desk last winter. The chimney is from the fireplace in the non-fiction/computer area room.
October 20, 2015
The old siding is
all removed now, the first floor is covered in plywood and Typar. On the second floor the lath and plaster is showing through.
October 15, 2015
John is back at work at the Library
taking off the wood siding on the opposite side of the building he did in the spring. As usual, he is coming across some rotten wood and other fun things. How about some electric lines on the outside of the building, he'll have to take care of that.
June 8, 2015
The entryway is looking very good! Thank you John for the new siding and Gina for the new paint.
June 1, 2015
New siding in progress.
May 27, 2015
John Saldi is putting the siding up.
That blue stuff is another house wrap, it's the darker grey material in the middle picture, the blue is on the inside.
Insullation was blown in and now the siding starts.
May 15, 2015
John has put in the new post to replace the one that wasn't really there. Next comes the plywood, then insullation will be blown in and then the new siding will be put up.
May 13, 2015
Behind the siding at the corner of the building by the entrance we find that air is what's been holding up the building. The corner post was so rotten there was actually nothing at all on the bottom. John is replacing it today. The rest of what remains of the post was so bad you could squish it with your finger.
Apparently this was due to water damage. Water was getting in behind the siding because the gutter wasn't set at the right angle.
May 11, 2015
John is getting ready to re-side the entryway side of the building! He's pulling and vacuuming out
the old cellulose and some fiberglass insullation.
May 6, 2015
The base of the new posts are now cememted in. John's outdoor workshop.
April 30, 2015
Fall Fittings of New Paltz came to put in the new structural steel posts.
April 1, 2015
XIII - John discovered this Roman numeral on the post you see below. He says a common practice when laying the pieces out on the ground would be to mark the pieces going together with Roman numerals so they could be matched up when put in the upright position. Looks like we got lucky number 13!
March 30, 2015
John Saldi is replacing four posts in the basement. The posts originally came from a post & beam structure and were recycled over 200 years ago! They will be replaced with structural steel. That nice looking archway in the background is below the fireplace with the delft tiles in the reference room. There is no flue in the basement, it just holds up the chimney.
A glimpse of the new staircase John recently put in to the basement, it replaced a very sketchy one.
More pieces of the rotten wood John's been taking out. We've had some major problems with powder post beetles.
February 23, 2015
The attic is going to have 18" of cellulose insulation blown in. John has made these walkways so there will be access to the windows after the insullation is blown in. These chases can be opened up so that the insulation will fill them as well.
December 18, 2014
A new roof was put on the back of the 1811 house. No more leaks in the Children's Rooms!
October 28, 2014
Rupert Williams, Richard Phelps and John Saldi standing in front of the south side of the 1798 building.
Richard, the stone mason, and John, the carpenter have been here working on our Library for two seasons now, it really feels like they are part of our staff, we will miss them. There are many more things to do here, such as the siding next to the entrance and a new roof over the Childrens Room, but they will have to wait until more money is raised. see below
Richard doing some plastering and planting tulips for next spring. The scaffolding is now taken down and packed up in the trailer.
October 20, 2014
Richard and his helper, Rupert finishing up the chimney. Then we can have some heat in the building!
The scaffolding will be taken down soon.
October 15, 2014
The siding and the attic windows are complete. Once the chimney is finished the scaffolding can come down!
The chimney is not quite through the roof yet, but the concrete block is plastered over, it looks much better.
October 8, 2014
Library Nears Completion of Building Repair
The Stone Ridge Library is close to completing the stabilization and restoration of its 1798 stone building and will be able now to move on to putting a new roof on its adjacent 1811 building that houses its children's programs and books. The completion of these projects before the winter basically keeps the Library on its aggressive schedule of renovation.
However, the replacement of rotting wooden clapboards at the main entrance to the library will have to wait until next spring, partly because of financial concerns and the need for the Library to raise more money for its projects.
Those facts emerged Tuesday, September 30, at the monthly meeting of the Library's Board of Trustees as the Board reviewed ongoing projects and the prospects of being able to move on to other costly projects that still remain to be tackled.
"We are thrilled that the two wooden buttresses that held up our Colonial Era building are now down," observed Board President Robert Miraldi. "And as the community can see we have refaced our exterior walls and inserted steel rods to finally stabilize this building."
"It is a huge accomplishment," Miraldi said. "But it also has been a costly job. We need the community's help to keep moving." Most of the money for the renovation of the Library – nearly $250,000 thus far -- has been paid for with private funds, except for a $50,000 state construction grant last year. And while the Library does get taxpayer money each year, that money goes for the Library's operating budget, Miraldi pointed out.
"Luckily," Miraldi said, "the community helped us greatly last year and we can afford to nudge a bit further along in our improvements." Most important, he said, will be replacing the roof on the back portion of the 1811 building which has various leaks that have been temporarily halted. That project will cost nearly $20,000 and needs to be completed before the winter.
After that, Miraldi said, the Library will have to rely on continued fundraising efforts to complete projects that range from resurfacing its parking lot to repainting a building that is in serious need of improvement to replacing many very old and inefficient windows. He urged the public to respond to the efforts of the Stone Ridge Library Foundation to raise the money needed to keep the building progress going.
In other business, the Library re-elected its officers. Miraldi will remain as President, Stephen MacDonald will be Vice President, Judith Schneller Secretary, and Sig Hack Treasurer.
Hack described to the Board the ongoing success of the Library's building projects, but cautioned that moving ahead with future plans will be crippled without more money from fundraising. He and Library Director Jody Ford are in the process of developing a capital construction budget for the Library that will to help the Library better coordinate multiple jobs and track money being spent.
The Library also began a process of finalizing a five-year plan. Miraldi distributed a draft copy of a document that will attempt to map out what the Library would like to accomplish through the year 2020. "Our goals are simple," Miraldi said. "We want to keep serving this community with books and acting as an important educational resource. And we want to continue to improve and modernize our beautiful but seriously-in-need-of-tending physical plant."
Despite construction, the Library had 82,914 visitors last year and lent out 79,073 items.
John and Avery are startying to put up the new siding on the south end of the building.
The chimney is almost done, just a little more inside, then through the roof.
October 1, 2014
John and Avery, his helper are framing out the gable end using 4X4s.
Richard is starting to replace the chimney, using some of the original bricks, on the right and lighter weight
concrete block on the left. The chimney is only being replace from the attic level, up.
September 25, 2014
John has moved the gable end rafters back 15" so it is now plumb from the peak of the roof to the new mud sill at the top of the stone wall, a height of 13 feet. The roof was 15" out of plumb between those two points.
September 10, 2014
All of the steel rods are in place and and mortered in on the north side of the building. John has the sill plate in place at the attic level on the south side of the building. He's now getting some stones ready so Richard can morter in the steel rods and the forged end caps.
One of the steel rods and forged end from inside and outside the attic. These should be mortered in by the end of the day. That hook-like thing sticking down from the sill plate will be anchored in to the stone section. Stone will be filled in up to the new sill plate and the gable end will be framed out and sided in wood to look like the north side.
The forged ends were hand made by Jonathan Nedbor, a blacksmith from Alligerville.
September 2, 2014
The Buttress is gone!
August 27, 2014
John, Richard and Michael working out the best and safest way to get this last piece down.
And, the upper part of the buttress is gone. John is immediately back at his saw, working on the frames for the attic windows.
August 27, 2014
The buttress is coming down!
John and Richard discuss how to safely take down the buttress. Richard is starting to undo the gigantic bolts.
The back vertical pieces were cut and are being dropped slowly to the ground.
August 25, 2014
Tarps of all sizes
are keeping the weather out of the attic.
Meanwhile, some new siding is being cut and primed for the gable end of the Library. John is working on repairing the windows that will go back into the attic.
Back to the north side, these openings are for one end of the Steel rods.
Of course, when something is opened up more problems are discovered.
August 14, 2014
Richard finishing sweeping out the attic and John & Michael Saldi below, picking up stones and debris.
August 12, 2014
The stone has started to be removed from the south side of the building. View from inside the attic.
And the stones are being pried/shoved/tossed out.
The stones are being saved on pallets in the side yard, with some of the key stones numbered.
August 6, 2014
Current view of the building while driving north.
John and Richard have set up scaffolding inside the attic to continue the process of removing the chimney and the stones.
The chimney is being replaced in the attic only. It, along with the stone gable were leaning outward. The gable end stone will be removed and replaced with wood siding to match the opposite gable end. They will be re-using the old brick for the chimney going through the roof, but inside the attic the chimney will be concrete block, a lighter material.
Using a bucket to remove debris from the attic.
The first stone is out!
July 28, 2014
Richard is removing the chimney today in preparation for the gable end work.
The Chimney was gone by the end of the day. Some of the bricks are from the 1700s.
Stone Ridge Library will apply for State Funding for Restoration Project
The Stone Ridge Library Board of Trustees will be asking New York State for $17,500 in construction money to replace 11 historic windows and create storm sashes for the 19th century clapboard addition to the library's 1798 stone building that has been the focus of recent restoration efforts. The request will go to the State's Public Library Construction Program, an annual fund of money that is set aside just for public libraries. The Library received $51,000 two years ago and $7,500 this year. The grant requires a 50 percent match from the Library.
"The State money," pointed out Board President Robert Miraldi, "is particularly important to us and is virtually the only public money that we have available for construction." Miraldi added that the majority of repairs and restoration of the Library's colonial era buildings have been paid for with private money raised by the Library Foundation through donations and public events.
The Foundation raised $300,000 in the first phase of its fund-raising, and is now looking to raise another $300,000. The money has gone mostly for the stabilization of our 1798 stone building which has been supported for a number of years by wooden buttresses.
One buttress has been removed as the Library has re-pointed masonry, installed new windows and doors, and inserted steel rods to hold the building's stone walls together. "We've made tremendous progress," Miraldi commented, "but we've got a long way to go."
The new windows will be particularly important in helping control drafts and alleviating heating problems, making the building more energy efficient. Along with installing new windows, the Library will need to remove historic sashes around the windows, refurbish them and have new storm windows that meet historical standards built off site.
The Library is on the National Historic Register along with many other buildings in the hamlet of Stone Ridge.
The Library's Board of Trustees voted to approve the request for funding at its monthly meeting July 22. Library Director Jody Ford also announced that this year's Library Fair in June raised $13,000. "It was a great year," commented Ford. "And we thank all our Marbletown friends for turning out and helping us." The money raised by the Fair goes toward the Library's current $302,225 operating budget.
In other news, Building Committee Chair Sig Hack noted that renovation of the building is on schedule. The Library hopes to refurbish the south wall of its 1798 building and remove the remaining buttress this summer. The next building project will be the replacement of the back roof on the 1811 building. And then the deteriorating clapboard siding at the entrance to the main building will be replaced.
"We will need the help of New York State to finish our building renovations," observed Miraldi, "and we will also need Marbletown's residents to help us meet our goals of raising money to restore our buildings."
July 14, 2014
The attic has been cleared out of lots of junk (what were we saving it for?) Two steel rods will be
installed perpendicular to the rods put in last year, at approximately the same height. Some heating duct work will have to be moved.
The mortar is almost done. The stones will be removed from the peak and will be replaced with wood siding which will take a huge load off the foundation and the building.
June 26, 2014
The three steel rods on the ground floor are
completed. The three forged ends of the steel rods are visable on both the north and south sides of the building.
June 25, 2014
STONE RIDGE LIBRARY AWARDED
NEW YORK STATE LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION GRANT
The Stone Ridge Library has been awarded a $7,730 grant from New York State toward the restoration of its historic buildings. The funding is part of the New York State Public Library Construction Program that has awarded grants to 186 public libraries with funds appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2013-2014 State Budget.
The grant, matched with money raised by the Stone Ridge Library Foundation from private donations and public events, will be used to replace siding and insulate the North, South and West walls of the 19th century clapboard addition to the 1798 stone building that has served as the community's library since 1909.
"This is another important step forward for the Library," noted Robert Miraldi, President of the Library's Board of Trustees. "We appreciate the help of the state government to help us realize our goals."
The Library received a matching grant from the same agency for $51,300 in the 2013 funding cycle; that money is currently being applied to the stabilization of the 1798 building, including new windows and front door, and the installation of stabilizing steel rods and masonry work, soon to be completed. The Library will apply again in the next funding cycle, for help with restoring windows and creating storm sashes for the 19th century addition to the stone building.
"Our work is being accomplished in increments, as funding allows," said Jody Ford, the Library Director, "and the New York State grant is an enormous boost to our capital campaign. We are pleased that the community has been so generous in its giving, which is important to our work and to raising the matching funds required for this grant."
State Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk, D Duanesburg, who announced the grant awards, commended the Library, saying, "The Stone Ridge Library is such an important part of this community and offers so much -- including programs and services for children, literacy tutoring, computer instruction, information on getting a job and much more. The grant will help make this beautiful, historic building more energy efficient and more comfortable for all the local residents that love coming here."
June 11, 2014
Another discovery, the remains of a brick arch. It was behind a veneer of stone and mortar, on the north side of the building. No one knows anything about it.
The second steel rod on the ground floor is in place, this was a rough one to put in, there was a huge stone right where it was supposed to go. John and Richard had to chip away some of the stone to place it correctly. Yes, that's a hose coming through from the outside, it was messy.
May 28, 2014
The holes in the north and south sides of the building are for the first of 5 steel rods to be put in place this season. There will be 3 on the first floor, up near the ceiling and 2 in the attic. This is to keep the building from spreading outward. They will be perpendicular to the rods installed last year. When they are all installed the remaining butress will be taken down.
The bolt and washer (4" diameter) in this picture were found when Richard was starting to make the hole for the rod. It was underneath about an inch of mortar. It may have served the same function as the new steel rods. This could be 100 years old, or much older, we don't know.
The rod will run next to the chimney.
The first rod is installed, perpendicular to last years.
The blue tarp is stuffed there in case of rain.
In addition to the insertion of the steel rods this year, all the stone in the gable end on the south side will be removed. It will be framed out and sided in wood to look like the north side. Removing the weight of the gable stones will take a tremendous load off the foundation and the rest of the building.
April 21, 2014
Richard replacing a stone that was loose, and mortaring it back in, using a "secret formula" for the mortar.
April 16
The basement window is painted and in place.
April 9, 2014
John Saldi made a window frame for the basement window on the south side of the building. He made his own pegged mortise and tenon joinery, using 4"x6" white oak in keeping with the original structure. This basement window is intended to be a load bearing part of the building.
Richard Phelps is back and getting ready to do some stone pointing. But first he had to dig a trench to get to the foundation stones. Then he has to chip away the old mortar.
Some of the pottery shards and pieces of old bottle Richard found when digging the trench. The bottle had become iridescent from being burried so long. Richard is holding some horsehair he found in the old mortar.
March 24, 2014
This is in the
stairway, that string in the left picture is now the steel rod in the center and right picture. It's all re-pointed, plastered, trimmed and painted and looks terrific.
February 26, 2014
The Bio Room, now opened back up and beautifully re-painted.
In other news, the portraits of Julia and Garret Hasbrouck have returned to the Library after restoration (for Julia) and framing.
January 22, 2014
The Dutch door is a replica of the door that was on the building since 1798. and were based on the original hinges. Our carpenter, John Saldi has been putting together all these components and replacing sills and trim as he goes, although the two side panels in blue are original. Soon the Biography room will be getting new plaster and paint, then we'll be getting it back.
______________________________________________________________________________________
December 9, 2013
The Reference Room is getting there... A few more things need to be finished. Meanwhile the plastic is gone and we have the room back in use.
Placing the steel rod in the stairwell
from start to (almost) finish.
November 27, 2013
George Dimler and his crew continue the work on the drainage
project, along the front of the buildings and down the south side of the property.
Meanwhile the inside front windows in the Reference Room are in the process of being painted and the wall plastered. We are hoping to have this room opened up in early December.
November 20, 2013
PVC drainage pipes were put in the ground outside the north facing wall of the Library yesterday. They were then covered with gravel. We don't want any more water problems! This project will continue putting drainage pipes toward the street and along the front of the buildings, and tying in the downspouts from the new gutters as they go, and eventually making its way to the back of the property
to the same location as the new drainage from the parking lot.
November 18, 2013
The front of the Reference Room. John is using the original wooden boards in the window area as well as under the windows. He did have to make new windowsills due to the water damage. This area needs some plastering and painting and then it will be ready to be re-opened. With all the wind and rain last night nothing got wet inside, the windows and the new reclaimed redwood gutter did their job. Also coming soon are storm windows for the exterior, so the Reference Room should be nice and warm this winter.
November 13, 2013
Stone Ridge Library Foundation Announces Milestone in Capital Campaign
Stone Ridge –"The Stone Ridge Library Foundation is pleased to report that we have reached our $300,000 fundraising goal to complete Phase One in our capital campaign to partially restore the Library's historic buildings," announced Foundation President Eileen McAdam. "Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have arrived at this important mile stone in our project," she added.
The history of the project dates to 2005 when the Library Board commissioned a historic structures report to evaluate the 1798 and 1811 Library buildings. When they learned that serious structural challenges existed, they consulted with engineers who installed large buttresses on both the east and south walls as a temporary measure to prevent further movement while a permanent solution could be sought. When a public referendum for an addition to the library and restoration work did not pass two years ago, the incremental restoration of the existing buildings and grounds began to take shape. No tax dollars are involved in these plans; they are dependent primarily upon community supporters.
Much of the current work has focused on the façade, or east wall, of the 1798 stone building, located on Main Street in the Stone Ridge historic district. Some of these current restoration efforts—envisioned and overseen by local architects James and Karin Reynolds—have provided stabilization and aesthetic appeal to the older building with the installation of steel rods throughout the interior as well as steel lintels in the reproduction front door and multi-light windows that grace the façade. The re-pointed masonry provides both beauty and stability. A highlight and cause célèbre of this work was the removal of the large buttress that had been in place for six years on the front of the building and had become an all-too-familiar landmark for patrons and passersby. In addition to the highly visible restoration work, improvements to the Library's infrastructure include a new furnace in the 1811 building, grading and storm drains in the parking lot and a new leach field.
The majority of funds for the work completed have come from individual donations from Library supporters. Fundraising events have also contributed to the campaign's success, from an art auction in May 2013 hosted by the Foundation at Lifebridge Sanctuary in Rosendale, an art sale organized by the Wired Gallery in High Falls in June and a Guided Tour of the Vivekananda Estate in Stone Ridge last September. Grants have also factored in, with a New York State Library Construction grant for $51,531 and a corporate grant for historic hardware from Ulster Savings Bank.
"We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed to the success of this important work," commented McAdam. "But there is still so much to accomplish." Pending work includes masonry on the 1798 building's south wall (and the subsequent removal of the second large buttress), chimney repair, insulation and replacement of clapboard, as well as work on the 1811 building which will be prioritized and completed as funds allow.
"As we approach the next phase of our capital campaign, we will continue to seek grants and corporate donations, and are hopeful that the community will continue to support our efforts," said McAdam. "The Stone Ridge Library has served the community since 1909, and we now have a unique opportunity to see it through this important period in its history so that it will be here for many more years to serve the coming generations."
November 12, 2013
Gina Delong, of Chipmunk Landscape & Painting putting the base coat on the new, draft-free windows by the Circulation desk on Monday.
We received a grant for these windows! And, back to normal, we sell the Stone Ridge Library bags, in two sizes and many colors and of course the coffee and snacks. Big sellers.
November 7, 2013
Jody Ford, Library Director, putting The Stone Ridge Library Foundation office back together. Crystal Middleton, settling in to her office with its new window and paint.
The front windows in the Reference Room from the inside. New wide windowsill and the old wood fixed up and reused below. This is what's hiding behind the plastic.
October 28, 2013
Old sill in need of repair and new sill with copper flashing. Some of the studs will be replaced and the stone underneath the sill is being repointed as well.
October 23, 2013
Work began today on the foundation and sill on the north side of the Library.
The siding will be next, probably in the spring.
October 21, 2013
The new front of the Library
Thanks to your help, the Stone Ridge Library has made exciting progress in the last year as it has aggressively pursued the reinvigoration, renovation and restoration of its Colonial Era buildings located in downtown historic Stone Ridge, a hamlet that is on the National Historic Register. Symbolizing the progress is the removal of the first of two buttresses, which since 2006 have prevented the stone walls of the library's 1798 building from collapsing.
Now, as the library finishes stabilizing its stone building with privately raised funds and a state grant, the library's fundraising arm, the Stone Ridge Library Foundation, contemplates a new round of fundraising to pay for the next phase. That will involve more work on the 1798 building, repairs of the 1811 wood-frame building and further improvement of the parking lot and grounds – and there are no local tax dollars available to pay for the needed work.
"We've made great progress, having raised more than $220,000 from our community and $50,000 from a state construction grant," said Foundation President Eileen McAdam. "We're very close to the $300,000 that we projected for the first phase of work. Now we're setting a new goal: raising additional money to restore our two beloved library buildings. We urge everyone in the Marbletown and Rochester community to contribute generously to preserving this unique cultural and educational resource."
The foundation intends to hold a variety of fundraising events in the coming months. Donations also can be made via credit card on the right.
Completed work includes:
- Insertion of steel rods throughout the 1798 building to pin together the stone walls. Before work began, the walls were as much as 17 inches out of perpendicular; wooden buttresses have forestalled collapse since 2006.
- Installation of new windows and a new front door. Their frames act like beams and hold up the stone walls.
- Repointing and new masonry walk on the entire front façade of the building.
- Resurfacing and grading of the parking lot and installation of a new drainage system to prevent flooding.
- Installation of a new furnace in one of the two buildings
- Repair of the toilets and replacement of a 40-year-old septic drainage field.
Library Board of Trustees President Robert Miraldi points out that the current work has kept a mason, a carpenter, an architect and two engineers busy, but he adds that much more now remains to be done. The remaining work – some of which will be completed this by this fall – includes:
- Masonry work on the southern stone wall, including the removal of the upper triangle of stone to take weight off the building's south façade. A wooden buttress has prevented the collapse of this wall for years, as well.
- Rebuilding of two crumbling chimneys.
- Removal and replacement of rotting clapboard siding at the main entrance to the building.
- Replacement of a 40-year-old roof on the 1811 building.
- Replacement of various windows in both buildings. This will improve energy efficiency.
- Environmentally conscious removal of lead-based paint from clapboard siding and repainting of the exterior of the 1811 building.
- Repair of the foundation in the rear of the 1811 building and construction of a new back porch.
- Installation of a drainage system that will drain all building gutters and bring water away from the buildings.
In addition, the library needs to make a variety of internal and external repairs and cleanups after the major construction is completed.
In 2012 the library had 84,700 children and adult visitors. The library loaned out 44,031 books, including 18,498 children's books. In total, including video and audio recordings, the library circulated 87,416 items. The library's web page, stoneridge.org, where many people go to locate material on databases, received 51,126 visits.
We have so much to do! You can help keep the work going by donating or volunteering through the Stone Ridge Library Foundation. Contact us
October 1, 2013
Front of the Library with new windows and no scaffolding.
Forged end of one of the steel rods.
Richard Phelps working in
the attic in about 2 1/2 feet of headroom. The stones were very loose and missing a lot of morter. Steel rod poking through the attic into the tiny space where Richard is working.
LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION 2013
Library Celebrates Restoration Progress
on Sunday, August 18
On Sunday, Aug. 18, the Stone Ridge Ridge Library will celebrate an exciting moment in the renovation and restoration of its Colonial Era buildings – the removal of wooden buttresses that have stabilized one of its buildings for a decade.
The celebration, with refreshments and short speeches by various officials, will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the library, which is located in the heart of the hamlet of Stone Ridge on Route 209, just south of Route 213.
The public is invited.
"The taking down of the buttresses is both real and symbolic," said Library Board President Robert Miraldi. "This a real achievement for the library, a sign of tremendous progress in stabilizing our historic buildings.
"But it also symbolizes the beginning of our next steps, to further stabilize and enhance our two buildings. We have a long way to go to achieve our library goals," Miraldi said.
What already has been accomplished includes:
• Insertion of steel rods throughout the building to pin together stone walls.
• Installation of new windows and a front door with new frames that act as beams and hold up the stone walls.
• New masonry on the front façade of the building.
• Resurfacing of the library parking lot and installation of a new drainage system.
• A new furnace.
• Replacement of a 40-year-old drainage field.
While this work has kept a mason, a carpenter, an architect and two engineers busy, pointed out Eileen McAdam, President of the Stone Ridge Library Foundation, which is raising money to complete the work, "much more now remains to be completed."
No local tax dollars have been spent to preserve the two library buildings, which date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The foundation has raised more than $200,000 from the community and the library secured a $50,000 NYS Library Construction restoration grant. The foundation has begun a second round of fundraising to secure additional private funds to pay for the remaining work that's necessary, which includes:
• Masonry work on a stone wall and removal of a second wooden buttress.
• Rebuilding two crumbling chimneys.
• Removal and replacement of rotting clapboard siding at the main entrance to the building.
• Replacement of a 40-year-old roof.
• Replacement of various windows to improve energy efficiency.
• Repair of a foundation.
• Installation of drainage system that will drain all building gutters.
Library Director Jody Ford pointed out that despite the construction, the library has continued to serve its patrons. Last year the library loaned out 87,416 items and had 84,700 visitors to use the library's various services, ranging from books to DVDs to computer services.
As a thank-you to our community, we are welcoming them to join us on Sunday. For further information, please contact the Stone Ridge Library Foundation at 687-7147.
August 6
The big brace is gone! The scaffolding was immediately set up for more work.
August 5
This brace is coming down today.
July 12
Our Parking lot gets much needed drainage, and is graded and resurfaced with Item 4.
July 1
View across from the Circulation Desk, behind the plastic is where John Saldi and Richard Phelps have been working since they discovered the open gaps in the stone wall.
They are installing a steel beam to carry the load.
June 26
Stone Ridge Library Awarded New York State Library Construction Grant
June 26, 2013 - The Stone Ridge Library has received a $51,531 grant from New York State to help with the ongoing renovation and stabilization of its Colonial Era buildings.
The award, part of $14 million in library construction money the state has awarded at its recent legislative session, was announced on Tuesday by State Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. In order to receive the money, the library had to pledge to match the state's share.
In making the announcement, Senator Tkaczyk said, "When I was growing up, the local library was extremely important to me and to the entire community. It was a sanctuary that offered knowledge-hungry kids an opportunity to learn about things outside the classroom."
The money will be used for a variety of projects at the library, including stabilization and restoration of the façade and south wall of the library's 1798 stone building; upgrades for energy efficiency; a new drainage leach field; an energy efficient boiler, and energy efficient windows in an area that connects the two library buildings.
Work has been underway at the library for many months on some of these projects, thanks to a $300,000 fundraising effort that has already raised $210,000. That money is presently being used to install new windows and doors to act as stabilizers in the old stone building. This phase of work also includes applying new mortar to stone work.
Steel rods are also being placed throughout the building to hold together walls that have been held up, to some degree, by large wooden buttresses visible from Route 209 where the library is located in downtown Stone Ridge. The library expects to be able to remove one of the wooden buttresses soon.
The furnace was recently installed and the leach field was completed last fall.
"The new money will help us move aggressively to continue our work in revitalizing the 200-year-old building," commented Robert Miraldi, President of the Library's Board of Trustees. "Our elected officials and the library staff deserve our applause for helping us get this new funding."
Library Director Jody Ford thanked the Senator and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, as well as her staff. The grant proposal, aided by the Mid-Hudson Library System, is a rigorous application, Ford pointed out.
"The construction at our library is head-spinning and exciting," said Ford . "But it has not stopped us from serving our public. Last year we circulated 87,416 items to our patrons."
The library will be applying again to New York State next year for more financial help as it begins to plan renovations and improvements to its other building which was built in 1811 and needs, among other things, a new roof and new drainage systems.
"Little by little we are restoring our beautiful old buildings," observed Miraldi. "This State contribution gets us closer."
June 18
Discovered on Tuesday: These two 2x4s are holding up the second floor! And large gaps where stone was supposed to be. The stone that was supposed to anchor another steel rod. Not good. A stone wall is currently being constructed.
June 7
Richard Phelps, mason and John Saldi, carpenter in front of the newly restored front door. It feels like they are part of the staff at this point.
Newly restored windows in the Reference Room.
June 5
The front door on June 4, 2013; The hand forged exterior end to the steel cable shown below.
The window in the Reference room is now being worked on.
Interior windowsill area next to the front door. The wall next to that still needs work.
This is what the wood looks like that has been holding up the building.
May 22
Front window in the Local History room, before and after.
Windowsill
in the Local History room, the file is pointing to old plaster that was used as filler at some point in time.
The old headers still lood good.
May 14
Other side of the wall below. The first steel rod is installed, dark red, on the left of the picture.
May 13
Richard Phelps adding stones and mud to the inside hallway to secure the steel plate.
The hole in the wall is filled in.
Steel plate in position. The original "mud" from the building, it really is mud.
Hole through the interior stone wall for the steel rods on the second floor to the front of the building. This requires more stone pointing. There will be additional steel rods installed in different places in the building. A few of the steel rods that were delivered on May 13.
The interior of the Local History Room, damaged by years of leaks. There were totally rotten boards in the front wall, they will be replaced with stone. All kinds of problems have been hiding behind these walls!
May 8
Another surprise. Taking up the floorboards on the second floor for the steel rods has uncovered chaff, used as insulation.
Still looks good after 200+ years.
May 1
Inside: starting to prepare for the steel rods.
LIBRARY REHAB GAINS GROUND
April 10, 2013
Spring is in the air, and progress is evident to those dri ving and walking past the Stone Ridge Library.
Masonry work by Richard Phelps is providing a clear "before and after" look on the east wall, while the new door frame, fabricated by Architectural Components of Montague, MA, and assembled and installed on site April 10, is adding to the buzz along Main Street.
Team puts the door frame into place. Left to right, George Combs of Architectural Components, James Reynolds, Architect, and Mike Fornier of Architectural Components, Richard Phelps, Mason, and John Saldi of MCJ Residential. 
Karin Reynolds consults with George Combs and Mike Fornier of Architectural Components; John Saldi of MCJ Residential in foreground
John Saldi working on the new oak door frame and carrying the new front door sidelight.
Placing the new steel beam in the old doorway.
Peter Reynolds, architect
Richard Phelps, Stone Mason
Eileen McAdam is moving the Thermometer up to $180,000! Thank You
STONE RIDGE LIBRARY AWARDED
ULSTER SAVINGS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION GRANT
March 11, 2013 - The Ulster Savings Charitable Foundation has awarded the Stone Ridge Library a Community Grant to purchase reproduction hardware for the Dutch door that will grace the east wall, or façade, of the Stone Ridge Library's 1798 stone building located on Main Street in historic Stone Ridge.
The centerpiece of the façade, the Dutch door, will be rebuilt and adorned with historically accurate hardware, estimated to cost $2,417.20 by Jonathan Nedbor of Canal Forge in High Falls. It is this component of the project to which grant funds will be applied.
"We are grateful to the Ulster Savings Charitable Foundation for helping us with this important project," said Library Director Jody Ford. "This grant award helps us achieve an important component of the restoration work."
$135,000 Given So Far to Restore Library,
$165,000 More Needed
February 13, 2013 – Generous donations from supporters of the Stone Ridge Library Restoration Campaign continue to come in, raising the fundraising thermometer outside the library to $135,000.
"The new donations and the continuing contributions from annual pledges are gratifying, but we aren't yet halfway toward our $300,00 goal for the first phase of preserving our century-old library," said Stone Ridge Library Foundation President Eileen McAdam. "We need all of the residents of Marbletown and Rochester who use our library and support its educational and cultural mission to help with these desperately needed repairs, which tax dollars don't cover."
The library tallies upward of 94,900 visits a year, a statistic which reflects multiple visits by some people.
To make contributing easier, the Foundation has added a PayPal button to the library's home page, www.stoneridgelibrary.org.
Emergency work had already begun to repair the library's historic 1798 stone building even before the fundraising campaign formally kicked off in September. The first phase of work includes stabilizing the building's stone walls, which huge wooden buttresses have kept from collapsing for several years.
The library hired the local architectural firm of James and Karin Reynolds to prioritize and oversee repair and restoration work, starting with the stone building that is on the National Historic Register. A mason has mitigated a severe moisture problem in the stone wall near the front door facing Route 209. The two toilets and the septic system that serves them were repaired. Work is under way on windows and doors, which in Colonial Era buildings are structural elements that help stabilize the walls.
The first phase also includes replacing the boiler, painting the exterior and paving the parking lot. Some work also has begun on the library's south building, which dates from 1811, including the replacement of rotted corner posts and sills.
The nonprofit Foundation, which is the library's fundraising arm, started the drive with $75,000 previously collected from the community for building repairs.
The library – in operation for 103 years – became taxpayer-supported in 2000, but tax revenue is dedicated to operations, not for major capital improvements like those that are needed. In 2011, Marbletown voters turned down a bond referendum that would not only have paid for these repairs, but also expanded the library's floor space.
So, with the limited goal of repairing the buildings, the Library Foundation turned to fundraising, setting a $300,00 goal for what will be the first phase of needed work. In addition, the library has applied for a $50,000 construction grant from the New York State Library Construction Fund through the Mid-Hudson Library System.
Donations Bring Stone Ridge Library
One-Third of Way Toward Repair Goal
January 14, 2013 - Supporters of the Stone Ridge Library Restoration Campaign have contributed another $23,000 toward the approximately $300,000 needed to stabilize and repair the library's historic 1798 stone building, bringing the total raised so far to just under $100,000.
Stone Ridge Library Foundation President Eileen McAdam is adjusting the fundraising thermometer outside the library to $98,000 to reflect contributions made since the campaign kicked off in September.
Marbletown and Rochester residents contributed $12,840 in a year-end appeal, with the balance coming from multi-year pledges made by committed library supporters. The nonprofit Foundation, which is the library's fundraising arm, started the drive with $75,000 previously collected from the community.
"We're thrilled that the community has responded so strongly to our initial appeal, but we have a long way to go to preserve our library," McAdam said. "We have about 94,900 visits from Marbletown and Rochester residents a year, and we're asking everyone who uses our library's services to chip in. To make contributing easier, we've just added a PayPal button to the library's home page, www.stoneridgelibrary.org."
The library also has applied for a $50,000 construction grant from the New York State Library Construction Fund through the Mid-Hudson Library System.
Although the buttresses that for years have prevented the stone building's walls from collapsing remain in place, the library has made considerable progress in the restoration work.
The library hired the local architectural firm of James and Karin Reynolds to prioritize and oversee repair and restoration work, starting with the stone building that is on the National Historic Register. A mason has completed repairs to the stone wall near the front door facing Route 209 in order to mitigate a severe moisture problem. The ground floor bathrooms and the septic system that serves them were repaired. Work is under way on windows and doors, which in Colonial Era buildings are structural elements that help stabilize the walls.
These are the first important steps of a long process that, besides structural repairs, will include replacing the boiler, painting the exterior and paving the parking lot. Some work also has begun on the library's south building, which dates from 1811, including the replacement of rotted corner posts and sills.
The library – in operation for 103 years – became taxpayer-supported in 2000, but tax revenue is for operations, not for major capital improvements like those that are needed. In 2011, Marbletown voters turned down a bond referendum that would not only have paid for these repairs, but also expanded the library's floor space. So – with the limited goal of repairing the buildings – the Library Foundation turned to fundraising, setting a $300,00 goal for what will be the first phase of needed work.
RESTORATION CAMPAIGN: Buttresses to Come Down
The Stone Ridge Library Foundation kicked off its drive to raise $300,000 in private funds for critically needed repairs to the library's 1798 stone building on Sept. 23. The Foundation started by announcing $75,000 in donations that have already come in from the community.
click picture for video
LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION
December 2012 - The Stone Ridge Library has developed a plan to stabilize and repair its Colonial Era stone buildings that are currently held together by large exterior wooden braces.
"We've been a library for 103 years," commented Board President Dr. Robert Miraldi, "and this plan will insure that we are around for another 103 years."
Over the past few months, the Trustees have hired architects and an engineer to develop a timetable and a specific plan to spend nearly $300,000 to repair the building and begin a series of other improvements to a library that last year had 90,400 visits from residents of Marbletown and Rochester.
Dr. Miraldi spoke about the plan recently to the Marbletown Town Board. "There is work to be done," Miraldi said. "While books and ideas are our business, mortar and stone must go hand in hand. And we believe we are moving in the right direction to get the work done that will restore and improve our beautiful old building."
The Stone Ridge Library is nestled in the downtown area of Stone Ridge on a section of Route 209 that is listed on the National Historic Register. The original library building was built in 1798 and was presented to the community in 1909 to be a library. The library became taxpayer-supported in 2000.
Miraldi said the details of the plan are still being worked out with Stone Ridge architects Karin and James Reynolds, but that the library has begun to hire masons and carpenters to begin work before the winter arrives. A key part of the renovation will be the installation of steel rods that will run throughout the building to hold together its stone walls that are splitting apart.
The 1798 building is currently supported with large wooden buttresses that are visible from Route 209. Another key element in the support of the building will be the installation of new windows with thick supporting sashes that act like beams to support old stone buildings. That part of the construction and mortar work has already begun.
Although the library's operating budget is supported by Marbletown taxpayers, funding for the renovations will come from money to be raised by the Stone Ridge Library Foundation, a non-profit fundraising arm of the library. The Foundation will be asked to raise nearly $300,000 to support the current renovations as well as improvements to a septic system, a furnace, the parking lot, and various painting improvements.
"We know the community will respond to our needs," said Eileen McAdam, President of the Foundation. "We need help, big and small, to meet our goal and restore the library."
McAdam emphasized that the library will need to undertake serious raising of money to pay for the repairs and to move forward with future improvements. A fund-raising plan was announced in October and a large red thermometer stands now in front of the library showing that $80,000 has been raised thus far. A donation box is now located in the lobby of the library.
The library spent about $10,000 last winter to make emergency repairs to the building. It has also recently submitted a request for a $50,000 grant of construction money from the State Construction Fund and the Mid-Hudson Library System.
The construction is not expected to disrupt or change the hours of operation for the library which is open six days a week for a total of 41 hours. "We will continue to help our patrons, young and old," said Jody Ford, the Library's director. "The repair work must get done, but books and other library materials are still our most important focus."
A New Walkway into the Library
August 2012 - The Library has a grand new walkway made from 370 million-year old bluestone (feldspathic sandstone) recently recycled from our old dismantled sidewalk.
Randy de Laura designed the walk, cut and prepared 34 stones, and installed a design 38.10 feet long by 7 feet wide in a walkway that will provide easier and safer access to the Library. The construction of the walk was donated by a Library patron.
‹ Return to Main Website