About That Scaffolding

A patron asked me last week what the scaffolding in the front of the library was all about.  It is about much needed repairs.  As you can see in these photos, the ornamental braces that seem to hold up the roof extension and gutters are in really bad shape, as is the roof extension itself and--although not visible in these photos--the gutters. Technically, anything that is the underside of a structural component (such as a cornice or in this case the roof extension) is called a soffit. On the Library Board, the problem of fixing all this part of the roof has generally been called the "repairing the soffits."  In my mind, this has meant the ornamental braces, but after I consulted the dictionary, I realize that the whole underside of the roof extension is a soffit. The gutters, although not really part of a soffit, also need repair. 

The Library Board has been aware of this problem for many months.  Our first problem was finding a suitable carpenter, one experienced in restoring historic houses. We thought we had one. He met with our architect and discussed the problems in detail. He returned on his own and measured and photographed the soffits. He promised an estimate.  He again promised an estimate.  Weeks and then months went by.  When contacted, the carpenter continued to promise the estimate, which we were told was written and on his desk. Eventually, however, when no estimate was forthcoming, we gave up.

We started again. We had hoped that we could get a grant that would help fix the soffit problem.  Trustee Ardith Orr collected three estimates from carpenters who actually supplied them, although this took some time as well.  The estimates were included in requests for member items addressed to our state senator and state assemblyman.  Although the assemblyman did provide funding for a different project, we have so far not received an answer from the senator (who, to be fair, has often helped the library in the past--but he is a Republican and the New York State Senate has gone Democratic, with considerable reduction in money available to Republicans for member items). 

There seemed to be no recourse.  The repairs were long overdue. The Board accepted the most suitable bid from a supplier, the reliable carpenter who had already reconstructed the second floor Children's Room and repaired joists in the roof for us.  We are forced to take the funds to pay for this from our Capital Savings, although we still are hoping for help from a senate member item.  The repairs are quite expensive--about the same as the second-floor renovation and the new joists combined--but absolutely necessary.

Work started a couple of weeks ago, which is why the scaffolding is there.  While the results of this repair job may not be obvious to the casual viewer, we think we have saved a vital architectural element.  Also we hope that it will help keep bats and birds from invading the Library attic.