Updated Hotchkiss Library

Maria Bissell Hotchkiss was by nature an educator and by inheritance a wealthy philanthropist. When her husband, millionaire munitions manufacturer, Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss, died in 1885 she set out to use her vast inheritance for the benefit of the communities in which she grew up and lived.

In quick succession, she established the Hotchkiss School in Salisbury and the Hotchkiss Library in Sharon. Today the prestigious preparatory school has grown exponentially and Saturday at 11AM the library will celebrate its 130th year by inviting the public in to admire its handsome $3.5 million renovation and expansion.

The event will feature ice cream, treats, tours of the facility and a scavenger hunt.

One could well believe that Maria Hotchkiss would be thrilled to see the care the community has taken of her gift. In an essay written by Board of Directors Chairman Tom Trowbridge, he says the need for the update was obvious. “Our historic building had serious limitations which, with the passage of time, became increasingly apparent,” he wrote. “There was inadequate staff workspace, attendees at popular programs were often crowded together and the interior, never touched up, looked tired. Most important, the building was not accessible to everyone.”

The resulting expansion and renovation have provided the best of both worlds: preserving the past and embracing the future.

The front of the building has been preserved just as Hotchkiss and her hand-picked architect, Bruce Price—designer of the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec—envisioned it while the rear of the building has been sympathetically updated to provide more room for staff and modern technology.

“It’s all still here,” said David Moore, chairman of the building committee, as he gestured toward the elegant oak woodwork of the main library. “The only thing that was removed was a little bay with an exit at the back. There were three windows in that bay, but they are still in the back wall.” The graceful arch that led to that little Bay has been also preserved at the entrance to the new staff area and entryway.

A new entrance and courtyard were established at the rear, leading both into the library and downstairs to the new Hayes Family Community Room, which can be used for community events, meetings and as a children’s activity room. A new elevator provides access to both floors for the physically challenged.

The possibility of moving children’s activities downstairs solved two problems, according to Moore. First, the hustle and bustle of children will be removed from the main library space and the library is now ADA compliant. “We used to have children’s activities on the second floor which violated the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Moore observed. “You are supposed to have equal access for everyone.”

The cheery children’s reading room remains on the main floor in one of the alcoves on either side of the front entrance.

Moore explained that no additional shelf space has been created in the renovation because the very nature of libraries has changed in recent decades. More and more, technology and community activity has overtaken the traditional lending library role. A. digital workroom is now available for patrons who bring their own electronic devices looking for a quiet spot to work. The library’s fiber optic internet service includes a public wi-fi network available throughout and outside the building.

Moore said that technology makes the collection and its use easier to monitor.

“Originally, there was one librarian, who sat at a large desk,” he said. “Now, we might have five staff members during the day. There was just more need for them to work.”

He noted the design of the new entrance. Stairs lead to the main floor where, when the library closes, a door can be locked. Access to the new multipurpose room downstairs remains open however allowing after-hour use for meetings and other activities. There is a small kitchenette adjacent to the room. Cabinetwork in the Hayes Community Room is more modern than the Victorian-era woodwork upstairs but echoes the oaken theme.

Parking remains a challenge. Previously, the library had no designated parking spaces but now four have been established near the new entrance. Employees will park in an adjacent lot, leaving the spaces open for patrons and Moore noted that streetside parking is available. A parking map is being posted on the library website.

What is Moore most proud of? The lighting, he responds. Built in the closing days of the 19th century, when electricity was still a novelty, it appears the first lighting was provided by gas fixtures. Over the years, more modern lighting was provided but it was—let’s say it—ugly. “Many of the lights were inappropriate,” Moore, an architect, says. “Some were just strip fluorescents on the ceiling. There were wires everywhere and we were able to strip all of the exposed wiring from the building and replaced all of the fixtures that were inappropriate.”

Globe fixtures along the interior well of the building are reminiscent of the Victorian era.

The library is located at 10 Upper Main Street in Sharon; hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org.