AMHERST — Despite a request that the Jones Library be placed on a statewide list of historic resources at risk of being lost, the downtown building didn’t make the cut.
Sarah McKee, former president of the elected trustees who submitted the application, said she was disappointed to find the library was not one of the seven properties on the list released last week by Plymouth-based Preservation Massachusetts.
The building, she said, opened in 1928 and was unlike other libraries of the time because it felt like a home. Current plans only show preservation of some fireplaces and a portion of the main staircase, McKee said.
“Behind the stone shell, it would be a sleek, modern new library,” she said.
Library Director Sharon Sharry and Austin Sarat, president of the trustees, have both said they have confidence in Finegold Alexander Architects to design an expansion and renovation that will both modernize the building for users and protect the history of the Jones.
On Wednesday, the Amherst Historical Commission will host a public information session on the expansion project, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Glass Room of the Bangs Community Center, to view the schematic designs, review historic preservation aspects and get an outline of the proposed timeline.
The only Western Massachusetts property selected by Preservation Massachusetts was the Knox Automobile Factory in Springfield.
Selections are made by a committee from nominations submitted by groups and individuals, basing on historic significance, extent of threat and community’s commitment to preservation.
More than 140 properties have been put on the list since it started in 1993.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
