Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-30


M. Editor Il notice in the Spy of thu
10th inst, that the directors of the Free Pub
lie Library have requested the city council t.
take measures to remedy certain importan
defects in the library building. They desire
to have $1,000 appropriated to remodel tho
front of the building and make serious com
plant against leakages and other impertec.
tons in the roof. In the SPY of the l7tl
inst, ''Justice" has some comments on thi.
statement OF the directors. He complain:
that 1t does injustice to ''those who were in.
strumental in planning or completing the edi
flee" and will crafty disappointed archi.
tects and planners" viii yon allow me
space for a few remarks on the subject?
That the plan adopted for the library build
ing was a bad one is now very plain; and no
one thing did more to make it 50 than the
folly that insisted that any plan adopted must
provide for lighting it from the roof As |
and my partner, Mr.. c. IL. Peck, had consid-
cradle to do with the committee appointed TO
procure the plans, feel it my duty to make a
statement in regard to the matter Hon w.
w. Rice, then mayor Of the city, first asked
us to make plans for the building and ex
pressed a desire to have US visit New Bedford
and other places and examine library build
lngs. l declinedat first but finally went with
Mr.. Feck, ata expense to us Ofabout $35. The
mayor seemed well pleased that we did so.
and again desired NE to make plans, which |
declined to do until the plans could be en-
gagged by authority of the committee. He af-
forwards stated that the committee had author
lied him to engage the plans, and Mr.. Peck
and myself decided to make them. During
the progress OF our work Mr.. Rice and some
other members Of the committee saw it sever
al times, and expressed appreciation.
But minute statement of all the particu-
lars Is not necessary. When our plans were
finished we found tnat two other persons had
been engaged to make plans, and that we were
to be treated merely as their competitors. and
we had to wait three weeks for one OF them to
finish his work. Finally all the plans went
before the committee, and l was told that ours
received majority Of the votes; three men,
bers OF the committee voting for it, one for
one Of the others, and one not voting at all.
The matter went to the directors, and the
plans were not accepted. Afterwards when
l finally got chance to talk with the MAYOR
on the subject, | asked him why our plans
had been rejected. He replied, that the di-
rectors wanted two rooms side by side for the
Green and the circulating libraries. showed
him how easily our plan would give this, and
asked, what else? lie said they wanted two
rooms in front tor reading rooms. | pointed
out also how easily this could be secured. He
then said the directors wanted the Green Ii
brary lighted from the roof, Here, in my
belief, was the real cause of the rejection of
our plan by the directors. | made earnest
objection to such a roof, showed how certain
ly 1t would leak, and urged that it would be
improper to put such a roof on a library
building. | said any private individual might
accept such roof for himself but that it
should not be accepted tor the cIty.
An application for plans was then made to
gentleman in Boston, who, it was under
stood, would adopt whatever features might
be insisted on. The library building now
stands a monument of the result. The di-
rectors complain earnestly that it is very de-
tecuye and ask to have it remodeled. There
is much more that might be added to this
statement, bnt it is not necessary to my pur-
pose. | feel sure, however, that if the di-
rectors who rejected our plan, could now meet
and choose just as they think between our
plan and the one adopted, our plan would be
accepted and the building be made very diff
ferent from THAT it is now.
S ID. TOURTEIIOTT