The focus was on Augusta's children Monday during groundbreaking ceremonies for the new $22 million downtown public library at Telfair Street and James Brown Boulevard.
The Academy of Richmond County ROTC Drill and Color Guard got the show under way before a crowd of about 300 people, including city and state elected officials, Augusta-Richmond County Public Library trustees and foundation members.
Episcopal Day School sixth-grader Whitt Rutland sang My Country 'Tis of Thee. Immaculate Conception School eighth-grader Naomi Hunter gave the invocation, and pupils from various grades at Heritage Academy sang and recited poetry.
Augusta Preparatory Day School first-graders Mina Loudermilk and Arian Raeimsghasen, who raised $250 from lemonade sales during the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, donated the money to the library. And Lakeside High student Anne Marie Fox, winner of the library's Young Adult Poetry contest, read her poem.
"It's a happy day," said Jane Howington, the library board president. "This is the public library for this whole area. To have all these children down here today is symbolic. This is the hope of the future."
Construction is expected to be completed in April 2010, and the library is scheduled to be fully operational in June of that year.
Mrs. Howington is optimistic that library officials will be able to raise $3 million from private donations to put the finishing touches on the building's interior.
"We've got the cooperation of the community, the commissioners, and we've got a fabulous library board and a fabulous foundation board," she said.
Mark Lorah, the chairman of the Augusta Historic Preservation Commission, which opposed the original design, said Monday's ceremonies were wonderful.
"It's wonderful to be part of the team that made this happen, and I do consider that we're all part of the same team," he said. "We all have different roles to play, but it came together wonderfully. I'm really proud of that."
State Rep. Quincy Murphy, the chairman of the Richmond County legislative delegation, said he was excited about the new library, especially the designated children's area, which will have computers.
"Augusta is moving in the right direction," he said.
Millie Klosinski, the library's development director, said the $250 donated by Mina and Arian and matched by Augusta Prep will buy books for the children's section.
Commissioner Don Grantham said it was a great day for Augusta and the educational system.
"I'm very proud to be a part of it, as well as seeing all these people turn out in support of it," Mr. Grantham said.
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
LIBRARY HISTORY
1750: A collection of 166 volumes was donated to the library's trustees in 1732 and 1733 and sent from England with a missionary in 1750. Catalogue of Augusta's First Library:
- Book of Common Prayer, 22 copies
- Companion Of The Sick, 12 copies
- Duty Of Man, 13 copies
- Faith And Practice Of A Church Of England Man, 12 copies
- Help And Guide To Christian Families, by Mr. Burkitt, 20 volumes
- Holy Bible, 7 volumes
- How To Walk With God, by Thomas Gouch, 50 volumes
- Spelling books,12 volumes
- The Great Importance Of A Religious Life Considered, 6 volumes
- The Young Christian Instructed, 12 volumes
1802: The Academy of Richmond County moves from Bay Street into the new Academy on recently opened Telfair Street.
1882: The Trustees of the Young Men's Library Association Fund buy the Poullain Building at Broad and Jackson streets. The library moves into three rooms on the second floor.
"The back reading room is reserved for Gentlemen and contains the newspaper files and tables for chess, backgammon and draughts. The third floor was reserved for ladies," according to 199 Years of Augusta's Library by Berry Fleming.
1929: The library moves to the old Academy building for $120 a year.
DEC. 12, 1960: A new Augusta-Richmond County Public Library opened at Greene and Ninth streets. It cost more than $600,000.
Sources: Berry Fleming, 199 Years of Augusta's Library, The Augusta Chronicle archives
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