Lenox Library Plaster Consultation—Private

The Lenox Library, located at 18 Main Street in Lenox, Massachusetts, was first built to house the Second Berkshire County Court House. It was constructed between 1815 and 1816 in the Greek Revival Style by the well known New England architect Isaac Damon. The building served as the county courthouse until 1868 when the county seat was moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1871 the building was purchased by Mrs. Adeline Schermerhorn, a wealthy summer resident, to house a free public library and reading room. The Lenox Library Association, which was incorporated in 1856, moved into the building in 1874.

Major repairs to the library began in 1880. Upon examining the ceiling plaster in the assembly room (also known as the dome room), it was determined that it was not securely fastened to the lath and was in unsafe condition. The dome and ceiling were removed entirely and replaced. The library also underwent an expansion in 1889, which more than doubled the space. The focal point of the addition was Sedgwick Hall, a large event space for concerts, receptions, lectures, and other large gatherings. The library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

The library underwent a significant renovation in 2004, which added insulation above the plaster ceiling and saw the removal of the 20th century partition walls.

EverGreene was retained by the firm Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation to provide consultation and a visual examination of the conditions of the lathe and plaster ceiling as observable from the floor and from the safely accessible areas above the ceiling. The purpose of the consultation and examination was to comment on and discuss potential treatment options and site logistics in order to inform the architect’s specifications. Conservators provided recommendations for logistics, sequencing, plaster stabilization and repairs, decorative paint, conservation, and selective inpainting.