By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
This weekend, the Friends of the Cazenovia Public Library (FOL) will celebrate the one-year anniversary of Carriage Barn Books by extending the store hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Run by the FOL and community volunteers, Carriage Barn Books is a like-new bookstore operated out of the barn adjacent to the Cazenovia Public Library (CPL). The store is stocked entirely by donations from the community.
Carriage Barn Books officially opened on Oct. 26, 2019.
The opening marked the completion of the large-scale historic renovation of the barn — a project envisioned by CPL Director Betsy Kennedy and the FOL a number of years ago.
Earlier this month, the Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY) announced Carriage Barn Books as a winner of this year’s Annual Preservation Awards, which will be presented virtually on Nov. 6.
Founded in 1974, PACNY is dedicated to the conservation of the area’s historic architecture, neighborhoods and main streets. Since its founding, the organization has led efforts to save historic sites throughout the region, including Hanover Square, Armory Square, Hawley-Green, Sedgwick, and the Landmark Theater.
“The award recognizes all the hard work that the board, Friends, staff, architects and contractors did to achieve this remarkable restoration,” said Kennedy.
Carriage Barn Books is also the recipient of the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation’s Commercial Restoration Award.
“It is really exciting to receive this recognition, as it represents the tremendous effort and dedication of the Friends and the library,” said FOL Co-President Erin Milin. “I am relatively new to the board, and this project was in motion as I was getting involved with the group. It really attests to the creativity, collaboration, and dedication of the board, and [it is] exciting that the space can be shared with the community [through the store].”
For decades, the FOL stored books in the barn and used the space for its annual summer book sale.
The decision to renovate the barn came after a community survey identified a year-round used bookstore as a local need.
The project was supported through multiple fundraising efforts and matching funds from a New York State Education Department Construction Program grant for public libraries.
Initially, the FOL was able to contribute a substantial amount of funding from previous book sales, and as the project progressed, the organization continued to provide support.
To maintain the historic character of the original building, Kennedy and a design team worked closely with the State Historic Preservation Office and the Village of Cazenovia Historic Preservation Committee.
Cazenovia merchant John Williams built the Greek Revival building that now houses the library in 1830.
The carriage barn was added to the property during a renovation of the home in 1858.
In 1890, well-known Cazenovia benefactor Robert J. Hubbard purchased the entire property to house the growing “Cazenovia Library Society.”
In the 1980s, the barn was transformed into a space to store donated books and to conduct book sales.
As the years went on, the barn began to show signs of aging such as sagging floors and warped and rotted wood among other signs.
In 2018, Mike Walker and Expert Building Services stripped the interior of the barn to its studs, posts and beams, and rebuilt the interior over the course of a year.
The barn now features reclaimed wood floors, new walls and windows, and restored horse stalls.
The original 1890 shelving, which remained in use until 1996, was also restored and reinstalled.
Additions to the structure include glass doors, designed to work in combination with the historic wooden barn doors, a brick walkway, and an HVAC system.
In addition to the bookstore, the barn also features an office, storage space, meeting rooms and a digitization lab in its basement. Due to COVID-19, these spaces have been repurposed.
“Because of COVID the small rooms with no ventilation cannot be used for tutoring, and we are not allowing groups to use our meeting rooms or dig lab,” Kennedy said. “So, the basement is being used for donation storage and book sorting . . . The Friends are really working hard on the store and the online sales through Amazon and other sites.”
According to Moriah Hamm, who serves on both the FOL Communications Team and the Carriage Barn Books Management Team, the community’s response to the bookstore has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The store is a popular place to shop each weekend and we have many repeat customers, as our stock is constantly turning over,” she said. “In regards to the renovation, many patrons have remarked how beautiful the barn is inside. Many have told us they came to the barn each year during our annual sale and are amazed at the change since the completion of the renovation. Over and over we hear our patrons say they are glad the barn has become a full-time bookstore.”
Carriage Barn Books is currently accepting donations. Books should be dropped off in the designated area outside the lower entrance of the library, as indicated by the signs. Call in advance to donate boxes of books. Large quantities should be dropped off in the morning; hand trucks and library assistance are available if needed. College textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries are not accepted.
The FOL is a diverse group of local residents, families and businesses dedicated to enhancing the library’s resources and to fostering community interest and involvement in the library.
The organization raises funds for programs and services that fall outside of the library’s annual budget, such as special programming, building improvements and other projects.
In addition to the barn renovations, the FOL’s support has facilitated the purchase of desktop and laptop computers, free lecture series, author visits, concerts, movies, sound system enhancements, children’s programs, and additions to the library’s collections.
According to the library website, the organization includes nearly 600 area residents, whose annual membership fees provide part of the financial support available to the library.
To learn more about the FOL and Carriage Barn Books, visit cazenoviapubliclibrary.org or the CarriageBarnBooks Facebook page.
