Pinehurst Library, Archives Seek Room to Grow

An architectural rendering of the expanded Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives in downtown Pinehurst.

As of Thursday, May 10, 2012

Sitting at a small round table in the rear of the Tufts Archives, Audrey Moriarty meticulously and passionately talks about the future of the Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archive.

As director here, Moriarty’s eyes light up as she talks and points at renderings of the soon-to-be renovated building.

Her passion for the library allows your imagination to whisk you away to the new areas like the expanded children’s wing, the new multipurpose room, or the expanded museum and archives.

“What is keeping us from being the best of the best is we can’t accommodate all our great ideas,” she says.

The library board is currently in the middle of an aggressive campaign to fund an expansion of the library and archives. The proposed expansion is estimated to cost about $4.6 million. Work on the expansion is expected to begin in the fall of 2014.

The plans, Moriarty says, will give Pinehurst a state-of-the-art library and archives that can entertain the wildest ideas and serve people from not only Pinehurst, but around the world.

Currently the building has 6,400 square feet of space on its main floor and an additional 2,100 square feet in its lower level. The proposed expansion will allow for 16,000 square feet on the main level and 8,000 square feet on the lower level.

There is no plan to expand the building upward.

“We are not adding a second floor,” Moriarty says. “That is just a rumor that won’t die.”

The plan is to keep the front of the building as is, and add a children’s wing on one side and an expanded space for the archives on the other. The building will also have a cultural center that includes a 240-person multi-function space with a small kitchen.

Architect Alan Stagaard, who helped create the plan, said the design will allow the building to expand without encroaching on the Village Green and without overreaching its current property lines.

The planned design reorganizes the library around a central access hallway. There will be a core area for adults. The east side of the building will consist of a children’s wing, while the west side will be split between the archives and a museum. The central space will also include the multipurpose room.

The expansion will allow for a museum space to properly display the archives and double the number of books in the library from 15,000 to 30,000.

“There is something in this building for everyone, something here that will touch their lives,” Stagaard said.

The building also has built-in flexibility so that it can be changed to fit other needs.

“What’s really clear to me is that there isn’t a person in Pinehurst who can’t benefit from this,” Moriarty said.

Thanks to features like a central hallway and open views, Moriarty said the library will not need a lot of new staffing.

Mike Sanders, president of the Library Board, said the goal is to expand while maintaining the character and feel of the original building and the Village.

“In three to five years people will look at this and say, wow, that is 100 years old and look how good it looks.”

To help kick-start the fundraising process, Moriarty reached out to the Village Council.

In late April, Moriarty called the council’s support “pivotal” when she presented the plans for the new library and asked the village to donate $1 million and up its annual contribution from $20,000 to $80,000.

The council took no action but will likely consider the request as it begins to develop its 2012-2013 budget, which must be adopted by July 1.

The library has been an integral part of Pinehurst from the beginning.

Moriarty says that local support will be important as the library seeks funds from nonlocal donors.

“Everyone is interested, but they want to know what kind of contribution you are getting locally,” she said.

The library has been a local icon for nearly 120 years.

In 1895, the Tufts family provided for a library as a gift. In 1964 the Given Memorial Library was built with a gift of $450,000 from Sara Given Larson. Ten years later the Tufts Foundation gave a $450,000 donation. That $900,000 was used to build and sustain the library and archives.

The idea to renovate and expand the library began more than three years ago. It started when Moriarty asked representatives from Stagaard and Chao Architects to take a look at the current space.

“I had one question,” Moriarty said. “I asked them is there space here that we are wasting.”

The simple answer was no.

“This is the only time we’ll be able to do this so we are looking forward to future growth so we don’t have to do it again in 48 years,” Moriarty said.

The architects confirmed a 1996 study that indicated the building was “woefully undersized” to meet the needs of the population. In the 15-plus years since the study, the population has steadily grown.

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey@the-pilot.com.

More like this story

tarheelborn 1 year ago

I will not apoligize for my following statements. Let me go on record as speaking out. When I opened this story, I COULD NOT BELIEVE what I am looking at... I am so frustrated with people wanting to screw up the HISTORY of PINEHURST! The SO CALLED, ""architectural rendering of the expanded Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives in downtown Pinehurst"" is despicable! Now one begs to ask, WHO Ordered the Architectural Drawing, HOW MUCH did it Cost, and for God's Sake, PLEASE tell us all reading this post, Why is the aesthetics of the HISTORIC LIBRARY BEING CHANGED???? Listen people. HISTORY is JUST THAT, HISTORY. We DO NOT need to CHANGE the Physical Appearance of the Historic Tuft's Archive and Given Memorial Library! This RENDERING Looks like any one of DOZENS of PLAIN JANE RESIDENCES spread all over Pinehurst and Thousands of SUB-DIVISIONS all over this country! ! ! Stupid, I Say, STUPID! Maybe the Village Counsel needs to Look up the Meaning of MEMORIAL! This Property belongs to THE PEOPLE, Not a couple LOOSE Spending, wanting to MAKE A STATEMENT that I or THEY did This!!!!!!! I have been told the Village Counsel, needs to put a vote before THE PEOPLE and see just how many want to see something like this! Look, we all know there needs to be More Room for the Museum, but NOT at the Expense of CHANGING the Outside Appearance of such a HISTORIC STRUCTURE! My God, it looks like someone just wants to pad the pockets of a few select contractors. LEAVE IT ALONE, PLEASE! Add on with more basement space, but don't change the aesthetics of a Beautiful piece of Pinehurst History! Unless it's all about the adjoining property owner selling land, because they can't sell houses right now? HUH?

alladat1 1 year ago

Tarheelborn - great comments! It's always about the special interests of a select few.

doughnuts 1 year ago

Transition the existing building into an archive and move the library to Olmstead Village. More parking and connective history with Taylortown.

cantstandya 1 year ago

Looks to me that the Village councel needs to listen to the residents of the Village,the most valued part of Pinehurst is it's ability to remain as it was and that should include this building,each time something gets added to the future it looses it's relationship with the past and that is what makes Pinehurst the town it is and was,outside interest are not usually in step with long time residents and they are really Pinehurst, it is a matter of keeping the past secure by not trying to bring it into the future,but they will do what they want in the end by some means of justifying the need,soon Pinehurst will have lost out to money and modernization a loss that will impact not only the residents but those of us that enjoy the fact there is such a place close by.

tarheelborn 1 year ago

OK Slick Pilot Newspaper....... So now you CHANGE the original online picture of the GIVEN MEMORIAL Library and TUFTS Archive Museum! You take a CURRENT Picture of it, Leave the story the same, just so the readers can't see just how STUPID it looked in the original story! Tell me? What in the heck is wrong with expanding UNDERGROUND??? Plenty of Room, the Curbside Appearance is Not Disturbed, the HISTORY and INTEGRITY of the existing Building is not compromised, but rather RETAINED and it is a confirmed and proven fact in North Carolina the "Frost Line" is 12-16 inches, therefore reducing energy cost to a bare minimum, because the temperature REMAINS CONSTANT regardless of how cold or hot it gets here! MY GOSH! The Village is always talking about GREEN this GREEN that. Why in the heck don't they Get Smart and stop acting so stupid, instead of letting everyone watching see, just how ignorant they really are! All I have to say is EVERYBODY is not Snowed into thinking the Elected Officials in the Village are the Smartest and know what is BEST for Everyone, JUST BECAUSE 39 or 42% of the voting population Actually VOTE and they are fortunate enough to get enough votes to be placed into office.... Unfortunately, You are NOT Speaking for EVERYONE here... The part I just Hate about Politics, is once the person gets elected, they don't care what the People want, it's what THEY want! ! !

tarheelborn 1 year ago

""seeks funds from nonlocal donors."" See there! People that don't even live in Pinehurst! Outside Special Interests, making decisions for the Historic Village of Pinehurst!

""The idea to renovate and expand the library began more than three years ago."" OK. So WHO was on the board, Village Counsel then and was behind this whole fiasco???

“"This is the only time we’ll be able to do this"". Ok. So WHY the Rush? Is someone going to be elected out of office before they can rape the Village of $1,000.000.00 DOLLARS???

""Everyone is interested, but they want to know what kind of contribution you are getting locally,” VERY LITTLE!

This is just TOO Overwhelming! PEOPLE of PINEHURST, STAND UP! Expand underground more and leave the curbside appearance ALONE!