Let’s Keep Our Landmark 1913 Library Building!
New Canaan residents are urging New Canaan leaders to keep the landmark 1913 Library they call home - a place with a cultural, historical and enrichment legacy to the town as seen in a newly made video showcasing the importance of this building to diverse stakeholders. Friends of Our 1913 Library along with local residents challenge town leaders and the Library Building Committee to reconsider a plan to demolish the 1913 landmark building to make way for a new library and town green.
The New Canaan Library, a private entity, has requested 10 million dollars, along with annual contributions of more than 70 percent of their operating budget, from town funds to execute a plan that includes the destruction of this beloved 1913 landmark building as town and state finances contract in response to the pressing health crisis and worldwide pandemic. In light of Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7S, suspending CT towns’ action on non-essential capital projects, is the time ripe for a town wide referendum on the November 2020 ballot that lets residents decide what’s best for New Canaan? Voting in November is inevitable whether by mail in or in person ballots.
Listen and Watch their 90 second video that is available here
“We just want to be able to keep the original 1913 library building, which was here before any of us… The 1913 building is in very good condition” said local resident and architect Rose-Scott Rothbart.
“Agreed!” said local resident and President of the New Canaan Preservation Alliance Neele-Banks Stichnoth: “It would actually cost more to demolish it and put a “town green” in it’s place. One of the key issues is that most people do not realize that the Library (building committee) is planning on tearing down this landmark building, which they do not need to do in order to build the new library – we can absolutely and should absolutely have both.”
“We ask that people take a look at the information available on our web site and sign the petition to save the 1913 library,” she said.
Information is available at https://newcanaanpreservationalliance.org/
About Friends of Our 1913 Library
Friends of Our 1913 Library are a group of New Canaan residents who have come together to support our new New Canaan Library and we support retaining the original 1913 Library Building and the demolition dollars!