WESTON, Vt. – Weston’s Wilder Memorial Library has selected Foster Architecture of Weston, Vt., to lead the library’s Expansion Project. Ryan Foster is the principal architect at the firm. The choice was made by the library’s board of trustees at a recent meeting.
Deborah Granquist, chair of the library board of trustees, said, “We sent requests for proposals to architects throughout Vermont. We narrowed the responses down to four firms whose proposals met our goals. Through a series of interviews and visits, Ryan Foster’s firm’s experience and technical expertise made them our first choice.”
The Expansion Project involves the design and construction of up to 2,000 square feet of new space, and an update to the 1,000 square feet of the existing building. “Ryan Foster has significant and long experience with the renovation and expansion of historic buildings. Working with the library board and a design and building committee, the project will make sure that the community’s goals are met, while preserving the historic features of the existing building,” Granquist said.
The Wilder Library building is more than 200 years old. While its interior is an architectural gem, the building is very small, and lacks a bathroom, running water, and community meeting space. ADA accessibility is limited, and there is only one parking space.
In a series of public forums and surveys in 2021 and 2022, the Weston community was asked what it would like to see in an expanded library. The answer was clear. Beyond a bathroom, running water, ADA accessibility, and more parking, the survey results also asked for meeting spaces for adults and young people, more room for programs – especially children’s programs – and enhanced technology. But the small size of the library and the less than a tenth of an acre plot it stands on made water, septic, and expansion nearly impossible.
In 2022, the Friends of the Weston Community, Inc., a nonprofit organized to support Weston charitable projects, was able to purchase the so-called Riverside property, a half-acre parcel next door to the library. The Friends have dedicated the property to the library, and that has made the expansion possible. The Friends will continue to be involved in the Expansion Project through fundraising and project oversight.
Founded in 1909, Wilder Memorial Library’s mission is “to be a welcoming center of exploration, learning, and discovery for everyone.” Currently, the Library offers a variety of services, including downloadable books and audio books, streaming movies, music, books, and TV shows, and an e-newsletter with updates on programs, community news, new books, and more. Public wireless internet service is available in front of the building around the clock. Wilder Memorial Library is located at 24 Lawrence Hill Road in Weston, Vt. For more information, please visit www.wildermemoriallibrary.org.