ARCADIA, Neb.— A historic piece of Arcadia’s community is receiving care and preservation as the Arcadia Township Library is undergoing a tuckpointing project on the exterior of its Carnegie library building.
The project is being completed by Mid-Continental Restoration and is focused on repairing deteriorating mortar between the building’s original bricks. The work will help protect the structure from water damage and preserve the library for future generations.
View a video about the Arcadia library project at the end of this story
The Arcadia Township Library was recently awarded a $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York as part of a nationwide celebration recognizing Carnegie libraries during America’s 250th anniversary year. A gift of $7,000 in 1916 helped fund the construction of the Arcadia Township Library.
Librarian Terri Pierson said the timing of the new gift was especially meaningful because the library was already looking for ways to address the building’s exterior needs.
“(We’re) very surprised and very grateful. We were looking for funds for this process and so it was very timely to have that come in,” Pierson said. “I was pretty well shocked at the time when we got the notice that we were gonna get it.”
Unlike many grants that come with specific requirements or matching funds, the Carnegie Corporation allowed libraries to determine how the money would best support their needs.
Pierson said the tuckpointing project was an obvious choice for the dollars.
“We pretty much knew at the time that this was what it was going to be used for because we had some problems with some leaks because the grout had receded in on the old bricks,” Pierson said.
Tuckpointing involves removing deteriorated mortar and replacing it with new material to help strengthen the exterior walls. Pierson said the work is an important step in protecting the building’s interior.
“Where these buildings are plaster, it lets water in and if you get water into that plaster, then all of your plaster on your interior walls are going to start deteriorating,” Pierson said. “This should make the building last for another hundred years.”
Work on the project started weeks ago and will continue for weeks ahead. On rainy days, workers can wash portions of the project that had been completed and dried as they were on Wednesday.
While the tuckpointing project is the library’s major preservation effort, Pierson said much of the building’s interior has been carefully maintained over the years. Several original features of the Carnegie building are still in use, including the main desk, wall clock, reading desks and chairs, shelving, an umbrella rack, and even a trash can.
Today, the Arcadia Township Library continues to serve the community through traditional library services as well as programs and resources including adult reading programs, summer reading activities for children, free meeting space, internet access, copying and laminating services, new books, and access to the Libby digital reading app.
Pierson said preserving the building ensures the library can continue to serve residents well into the future.
