[MassHistPres] Lenox HD Garden Threatened

[Suzanne W. Pelton]

Lenox residents are up in arms about the recent announcement of the  
purchase and sale agreement entered into by our private not-for- 
profit library and a local realtor.

To pay down substantial debt incurred during extensive restoration to  
its building, the Lenox Library Association elected to sell its  
reading garden, a beautiful piece of open land adjacent to the  
library in the center of our Historic District.

The library is housed in the town’s former courthouse, built in 1816.  
When the county seat was moved from Lenox to Pittsfield after 81  
years, Mrs. Adeline Schermerhorn donated the building to the town for  
a library. In 1928 the adjacent lot was donated to serve as a reading  
garden. The building is an architectural jewel by anyone's measure  
and is enhanced by the open space around it.

The Library Association met with the Select Board in April to notify  
them of their need to raise funds and a newspaper article reported in  
August that the library might sell the reading garden. Then suddenly,  
the sale was announced.

Citizens to Save the Library and Reading Garden was organized to stop  
the sale which won't close until Jan 30. Residents are not inclined  
to see an office/apartment building cheek-by-jowl with this historic  
architectural treasure.

-Mass Historical Commission was not consulted before the sales  
contract was signed.

-The Attorney General was not notified before the contract was signed  
but has been contacted since

-The sale was not posted--just presented as a "done deal"

-The citizens committee is trying to figure out if "eminent domain"  
is a viable solution –can anyone out there comment on this approach?

Other suggestions are welcome.


Suzanne Pelton
Lenox Historical commission