The extensive improvements to the Ripley Public Library were officially unveiled at an open house recently. Regarding the newly renovated building, Thompson said, “Most people have not seen this. They are going to be impressed.”

Those who had not seen the library since the renovations began were in for a great surprise as what had once been an old-fashioned, quiet area in a building more than a century old has been transformed into a bright, functional, modern area.

Thompson said she was very pleased with the open house success.

“This has been a good turnout. I am just glowing today. People are saying great things about the library,” she said.

Media corner and reading area.

Thompson said the renovations turned out better than anyone had foreseen. “This is beyond anything I ever imagined,” she said.

Robyn Albright, developer of the library newsletter, “The Bookworm,” said she was amazed at the outcome as well. “I’ve been with this since day one and they had the library stripped down to the bare bones,” she said. “I never thought it would be anything like it is.”

While plans to renovate the building that had formerly been the First Baptist Church have been discussed for many years, when workers began to inspect the structure in the summer of 2019, they uncovered bowed support beams, sagging walls and a hidden 5-ton ceiling that was pulling down on the roof.

Also discovered were several beautiful windows, a 3-foot lathe-turned rosette made from Douglas fir and a huge room in the bell tower, Thompson said.

The removal of the hidden ceiling also revealed a high-arched ceiling with intricate wooden beadwork and vaulted, arched windows. Because of all these discoveries, the renovation plans were completely redone to try to incorporate the craftsmanship of past generation, Thompson said.

Rev Don Eggleston (left), who preached in building when it was the First Baptist Church, Robyn Albright (center), developer of The Bookwork newsletter, and Library director Rhonda Thompson (right) stand along the second floor railing of the renovated Ripley Public Library.

However, Thompson noted, just as the renovations were getting into high gear, the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt.

“The biggest problem we faced was getting materials to work with. The pandemic has slowed everything down so much because people were not working to produce the goods we needed and then there were no trucks to transport the goods,” she said. “another pandemic-related problem was with government offices being shut down so grant money and permits were on hold.”

Thompson and board of directors president Earl Freling commended the professionalism of the employees of NuWood Creations, Inc., the company conducting the renovations.

“NuWood Creations was wonderful with us. They ordered materials then went to work with some demolition while we waited for the materials to arrive,” Thompson said. “NuWood creations was very professional and they kept most of our problems at bay, or shielded us from them.”

Thompson noted that one of the difficulties with the project was the order in which things were done.

The library features a quiet room for reading and reflection.

“We had two phases of work going on and sometimes it was just logical to part of phase 2 during phase 1,” she said. “This took some changes in architecture and unbalanced the budget.”

Many of the discoveries that were made directed the course of the renovations, Thompson said.

“New ideas sprouted, such as putting a director’s office in the bell tower,” she said. “We began work on this and then discovered that a sprinkler system would be needed if we were going to put in what was considered a third floor. We discovered we need a new water line, as the one we have will not give enough water in the future, especially if we have to put in the sprinkler.”

Thompson said that among the discoveries that were made during the renovation was a beam that had rotted from previous water damage before the new roof was put on a number of years ago. Thompson said they had to call in an engineer (at a huge cost) to determine the best way to approach the repair. She said the repairs that were done should stabilize the building for hundreds of years.

“Marshall Dixon, the project foreman, said he feels so much better about this building now,” Thompson said. “He said that likely within the next five years that beam would have fallen and then the building would not have been saved. At this point, he is 100% confident in the structure of this building, so what was the worst discovery because of the nature of it, was also the best discovery because we were able to have it repaired so this building can stand for another couple hundred years.”

A corner truss on the second floor was restored as part of the renovations.

Thompson explained that perhaps the biggest obstacle they encountered was the increased cost of materials.

“Building materials went up by at least 300% during the pandemic. Therefore, we were not able to do as much as we planned, as the funds would not stretch that far,” she said.

Since the cost of materials continues to climb, Thompson said, it is difficult to estimate the cost of the work which still needs to be done.

“It is really hard to write the grants to compensate for this. For example, I will hopefully apply for another grant for the next part of this project this July. We will not receive any grant money until December of 2022,” she said. “We have to go on an estimate that was written a year and a half earlier and prices always go up.”

Nevertheless, the renovations of Ripley Public Library have created a haven that will have something for everyone and will not be just a library, but a community center, Thompson said.

The Rosette made from Douglas fir was restored and replaced to its original location.

The library will offer so much to the community because there is more available space, she said.

“The public can now use the upstairs of the building. We will have a tutoring area for students to meet with their tutors after school,” she said. “We will have a teen area for them to just chill and hang with friends. Eventually we will have a gaming area for them, too.”

Thompson reviewed some of the other new facets the library will have to offer. “There will be a reading room for quiet reading or reflection. We have a media area, with space for learning or doing yoga, or just watching a movie,” she said. “We will have a children’s area so they can play and explore while their parents either watch or play with them.”

The addition of new computers and free wi-fi, as well as air conditioning further enhance the building’s desirability, Thompson said.

“There will be at least eight computers for the public and free wi-fi for any who need it, “ she said. “The wi-fi will run 24/7, so it can be used even during closed hours.”

Thompson expressed thanks to the employees of NUWood Creations, Marshall Dixon, Earl Freling, the board of directors, members of the Friends of the Library and everyone who helped make the project possible.

“We all worked very hard on this. We have a very dedicated group of people. It’s been a good core group and we could not have done a lot of this without their help.”

Thompson, who stressed that “this renovation is a really big deal for the community,” noted that it had been amazing to watch it get this far. “There have many hands to get it this far and I extend my thanks to everyone who has helped make this project possible,” she said. “All of the fundraisers and sleepless nights are starting to pay off as we look at what we have done for this community.”

Thompson also emphasized that everyone should remember that “we are not done yet; we have the other half to do now. Hopefully, we get the support that is needed to move on to the rest of the phases until this whole building project is completed.”

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