About the project

The Bolton Public Library established on a few shelves in what is now the Selectmen's room at Town Hall.  In 1901 sisters Emma and Anna Whitney approached the town with a gift of $10,000 and a proposal to build a library in memory of their father, Captain Joseph Whitney.  The town agreed, and the cornerstone was placed in 1903.  Easily the town's most architecturally distinctive public building, the library was designed by Stone, Carpenter, and Willson of Providence, R.I.  It opened to the public in June 1904.

By the end of the 20th century it was apparent that the library building had served the town well but was beyond its capacity for modern and future needs.  In 2001 the Trustees named a planning committee to assess those needs and develop a plan of action to address them.  Soon after, the project won a Planning and Design Grant from the MA Board of Library Commissioners.  Richmond, French Design developed the first designs.

In 2005 the project won another grant from MBLC, this time for Construction, in the amount of $2.4 million.  The Friends of the Library raised over $1 million privately, and the town approved the entire project.

Architects for the final design were also from Providence: Lerner | Ladds + Bartels signed on after a highly competitive process.  Together with the Library Construction Committee and Daedalus Projects, Inc., LL+B finalized the design and took it to bid in summer 2008.

The library is now under construction.  Anticipated completion date is December 2009. Anticipated reopening will be in January 2010.  Watch our progress via the construction photo album!