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Mayor
Menino Reopens Historic Courtyard at the BPL
November
15, 2000
Mayor
Thomas M. Menino, the Boston Public Library's Board
of Trustees, Library President Bernard A. Margolis
and Chief and Director of the City's Department of
Neighborhood Development, Charlotte Golar Richie,
today reopened the library's historic interior
garden courtyard in Copley Square and welcomed
everyone to see the restored masterpiece.
"The courtyard at the Boston Public Library has
always been a place for quiet reflection in the
middle of our busy city," said Mayor Menino. "Now,
with the original architecture restored and with
new access ramps for handicapped visitors
installed, everyone can take advantage of this
beautiful oasis for study or solitude."
The BPL's courtyard was designed by Charles Follen
McKim to resemble the interior courtyard of the
Palazza della Cancelleria in Rome.
The library's McKim Building with its interior
courtyard was originally opened in 1895. More than
100 years of New England weather, extensive use by
the public, and architectural changes in the
courtyard took its toll on the space. Last year, as
a part of a larger McKim restoration project, the
construction began to restore the space based on
its original design. In addition to
landscaping,
painting, restoring the fountain, cleaning and
repairing the courtyard masonry, the area was made
handicapped accessible. The roof of the McKim
Building was also extensively repaired.
The $7 million project was designed by the Boston
architectural firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson
and Abbott, which has been the architect for the
entire McKim Building restoration program. W.T.
Rich was the general contractor for the courtyard
and roof project.
"The City has shown a true commitment to preserving
the original design elements of the 105-year-old
Boston landmark while modernizing all of its spaces
for improved accessibility and making way for new
technology inside," said Mr. Margolis.
"We have done so much to restore the original
beauty to the inside of this celebrated building,
and now thanks to the generosity of the City,
the
Commonwealth, the Boston Public Library Trustees
and donors contributing through the Boston Public
Library Foundation, we have been able to
complete
the work to restore this courtyard and repair the
roof as well," said Ms. Richie.
Funding for the entire $65 million McKim
restoration project has been provided through a
combination of public and private sources,
including the City of
Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the
Trustees of the Boston Public Library, and the
Boston Public Library Foundation.
"Today marks a milestone in the restoration of the
McKim Building," said John Cullinane, Chair of the
Boston Public Library Foundation. "It is rewarding
to see the courtyard returned to its original
splendor thanks to the many generous gifts
to the Foundation, including a $1 million gift from
an anonymous donor. Our success here will help
inspire us all to complete the task of raising $20
million more for the next phase of McKim
project."
The next phase of the restoration will include the
John Singer Sargent Gallery, the Edwin Austin Abbey
Room and public exhibit space. Previous phases of
the project have included the restoration of such
design treasures as Bates Hall, the Sienna marble
Grand Staircase, and the Chavannnes murals.
Heating, plumbing, fire detection and technology
systems upgrades as well as air conditioning,
elevators, stairs and ramps are being added in each
phase.
The Boston Public Library (BPL), established in
1848, was the first publicly supported municipal
library in America, and the first public library to
allow people to borrow books and materials, a truly
revolutionary concept at the time. In 1870, the BPL
was the first library to institute a system of
branch libraries linked to a central library with
the opening of the East Boston branch. It was the
first library to establish a space specifically
designed for children with the opening of the
children's room in Copley Square in 1895. Today,
the BPL has more than
six million books; serves more than two million
people every year and is one of only two public
libraries in the country that is a member of the
Association of Research Libraries. It is in the
process of building its 27th branch library, and
all
of its events are free and open to the public. At
the Boston Public Library, books are just the
beginning!
-30-
Prepared
by the Boston Public Library's Communications
Office. For more information about news, programs
and events at the BPL, call
617-859-2212 or send a message to
P.
A. d'Arbeloff,
Communications Officer.
Boston Public Library, 2001
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