[MassHistPres] Does anyone recognize this library?

[Rosemary]

Nicole,
Maybe a state library in Concord has something on the firm. Or you might have luck investigating whatever archival materials exist in Rumney. Perhaps papers in  the town Historical Society might contain  something on the building of the library, the architects, and in turn, the firm's other work? Trolling through the local or regional newspapers or published town history for some kind of article can be prohibitively time-consuming, however. 
 
Without a town name, as you know, finding information can be very challenging. Perhaps pursuing material about the firm might be the way to go. Try either MIT (  Randlett, B.S., 1922) or the New Hampshire Chapter of the AIA.  Applications for Chapter membership require the listing of built works, so the answer might be there. 

A long shot is the MA state volume in the BUS series, if there is a photograph. I would bet that the library in Massachusetts was built first, and the plainer version in New Hampshire built afterward. I say long shot because it is unlikely that there would be visual documentation of what sounds like a standard design that was re-used (with minor changes in details) in various small towns. But you never know!

I hope that any of this helps. Good luck with your research. 

Rosemary Battles Foy, M.A.
Brookline


On Aug 13, 2013, at 1:32 PM, Nicole Benjamin-Ma <nlbenjam at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello everyone, 
> 
> I'd appreciate any help you may be able to provide in helping to identify a MA library that might have a twin in NH. I've attached a photograph of the 1904 Byron Merrill Library in Rumney, NH, designed by the firm of Randlett and Griffin (Concord). A few years ago, the library had a visit by a MA resident who remarked that the building was an almost exact copy of the library in her town, and she even noted which small interior details were missing. Unfortunately, the staff cannot remember in which town this MA library is located. I've done some brief web-based searches (MACRIS, architects, Carnegie Libraries) but as of yet have not come across a likely candidate. There are some similarities with the library in Rochester, NH, also designed by the same firm, in case that is useful.
> 
> Any leads provided by the listserv would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Nicole Benjamin-Ma
> Preservation Planner
> Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
> nbenjamin-ma at vhb.com
> 
> <RumneyLib2.JPG>
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