A Brief History of the Friends and the Public Library

The Friends of the Wardsboro Library was established in September 1999 with the primary purpose of providing support for the Wardsboro Public Library. At that time the library had long outgrown the two small rooms it occupied in the Town Hall, so the Friends’ focus became to assist the Library Trustees in their efforts to improve and expand library services and facilities.

In 1997 Ruth MacMichael willed her historic 1840 homestead on Main Street to the Town of Wardsboro with the express wish that the adjoining acreage become a town park. At a public referendum on September 14, 1999, the Town voted to sell the residence, barn, and 1/2 acre of land, and to use the money to build and maintain a town park. Completed in 2003, the park has been named the Robert and Ruth MacMichael Memorial Park.

Following the referendum and with the Trustees’ approval, the Friends voted to raise the money to buy the house from the town, since it would be a perfect location for a larger library. The grassroots fund raising efforts were rewarded when a generous donor, Dana Danforth, agreed to give the Friends the total amount of the purchase price. The building was dedicated in September 2000 in memory of the donor's late wife and was named The Gloria Danforth Memorial Building.

Getting Started on The Library's New Home

Renovations began with volunteers and professionals working side by side. In August 2001, the Wardsboro Public Library moved into its new home at 170 Main Street. The library now occupies the first floor of The Gloria Danforth Memorial Building. The Friends provide the funds needed for maintenance, repairs, and improvements. A handicap-accessible ramp now links the parking lot and the library’s main entrance.

 

In addition to providing a larger facility for the library, the Friends’ mission includes sponsoring and supporting programs that serve the community. The Friends utilize the second floor of the house as their offices and meeting rooms, and as of late 2007, the large, attached barn is being renovated for future expansion of the library and community activities.

Maintaining the integrity of the 1840s building has been an important aspect of the effort to restore and modernize the interior of the building, and the Friends have consulted frequently with the Preservation Trust of Vermont. In addition to turning the first floor of the house into a library, they have transformed the upstairs, consisting of five rooms, into efficient workspace and meeting rooms. This entailed scraping wallpaper and painting walls, installing shelves and improved lighting, and securing the office equipment necessary for an organization that must devote much of its energy to fund raising. Volunteer workers and generous donors helped in this endeavor.

Keeping the Funding Going

Since its inception in 1999, the Friends have sponsored an impressive number of public events. In addition to being successful fund raisers, these events have contributed to the social and cultural life of the community. They have included slide shows, dinners, plant sales, flea markets, boat rides, art shows, house tours, trivia games, visits with Santa Claus, and the Gilfeather® Turnip Festival. Among the most significant accomplishments was the Friends’ publication of Wardsboro, VT: Exposing the Past, a pictorial history of the town by Dan Hescock and Bob LeBlond, now in its second printing.

The Wardsboro book and the  Friends most popular fund raising  items - cookbooks, t-shirts, DVDs, and other gift items are available on this website - click here.

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The Friends are grateful for the community support that has made these accomplishments possible.