Thayer Memorial Library Lancaster, MA

Thayer Memorial Library is one of a handful of historic structures clustered around Lancaster’s town green. The library, situated between the celebrated First Church of Christ and the Prescott Town Offices, dates to 1868. Fashionably designed in the Classical Revival style, the building is primarily constructed with redbrick and has a brownstone temple front pinned to the façade. To either side are two transept wings, one dating to the 1920s and the other to 2000.

SSV was engaged to perform a conditions assessment for the building in Fall 2019. The study, initially intended for inclusion in a grant application to the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund, has instead informed the library trustees’ fundraising campaign. The first phase, historic wood window restoration, is slated to begin next year. Meanwhile, the ongoing restoration of a single wood window is intended to provide a detailed estimate as to the overall cost of the first phase. SSV will later assist the library in applying for grant funds in support of future phases, which are to include slate roof replacement and selective repointing.