After 140 years of being located in Poplar Ridge, the Hazard Library in southern Cayuga County will have a new home in Sherwood.
The new library, which will be four times larger than its current location, will be built on the property of the historic former Isabel Howland house, now known as Opendore. The new library is projected to open in June 2025, but the board of trustees must raise $350,000 through a capital campaign to match a New York State Library grant for the new building’s construction.
The current library, which has been in a humble brick building since 1884, is 550 square feet and has limited its services due to the lack of office space, shelf space, and parking spaces. The board of the Howland Stone Store Museum offered the library a new location with increased space on two stories and ample parking, which the board of trustees voted to accept. The new library will also be able to partner with the museum on programming.
The library board plans to select an architect this spring, finalize the building’s design this summer, and complete its grant application in the fall. The future of the current brick building is yet to be decided and will depend on the cost of maintaining it.
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