Moffat Library Wins Placemaking Award

After Hurricane Irene hit in 2011, the historic landmark Moffat Library of Washingtonville building was left uninhabitable and the Board of Trustees needed to quickly find alternate accommodations in order to continue service to the community. James Smith, the owner of Advance Testing in Campbell Hall, New York, came to the Library’s rescue and offered to temporarily house the library for the community. Once the building was turned over to the Library in 2013, the library staff, Board of Trustees and the newly-created building committee immediately got to work.

The Library conducted a major survey to discover the needs and wants of community members in order to start creating a plan to return the library to its building in the center of the village. From the survey results and information gathered at community meetings, as well as from Library staff, trustees, Friends and community members, a building plan was developed to meet the growing needs of the Washingtonville/Blooming Grove community into the 21st century. Once that plan was in place, the architectural firm of Butler Rowland Mays was engaged and created a building design that strove to incorporate the community’s needs and the features of a 21st century library, while maintaining the historic character of the original historic landmark building, and all within the confines of a fiscally-responsible budget that the public could support. The plan was then presented to community groups and organizations to show the benefits of the project. A $6.9 million bond reference was set and passed by the community in March of 2015 and the final plans were drawn up. After a well-attended Groundbreaking Ceremony on April 6, 2016, the project began the construction the following month.

A New York State Division of Library Development Library Construction grant was awarded in 2014 and went towards the demolition of two adjacent buildings and site preparation for the library’s new expanded parking lot. In 2015, the library received another NYS construction grant towards the HVAC mechanical system for the building. In addition, the Library is set to receive a NYS grant from Senator William Larkin towards the fire sprinkler system, as well as a grant from Assemblyman James Skoufis towards a generator. Lastly, a 2017 NYS construction grant has been submitted to renovate the historic Carriage House that sits on the grounds of the library. These grants were made possible by New York State Senator William J. Larkin and New York State Assemblyman James Skoufis, who have supported the project throughout.

The Orange County Citizen’s Foundation believes that Placemaking strengthens the connection between people and the places they share and encourages residents of Orange County to engage in placemaking initiatives to shape a meaningful and sustainable future for subsequent generations. The Moffat Library “Restore, Renew and Reimagine” project has made that dream into a reality for its community now and for the future. The grand re-opening took place on September 16, 2017 and the community has been enjoying its “new” library ever since.