Tag Archives: Georgetown Library

Last week, GM show you a few snap shots of what the new library will hold, today he’ll pan out a bit and show you what the interior looks like. It’s quite a striking new interior and Georgetown has a renewed treasure in its midsts.

The first space you’ll see is the grand lobby. The high ceilings give the room a church-like air. And while the detailing reminds you that this is a historic building, the glass encased stairway down to the lower level tells you that this new building is going to be a mix of the new with the old. (By the way here’s what this room was supposed to look like; it turned out pretty much as they promised:

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Anna Velazco and Anna Fuhrman of the DC Public Library Foundation

Tuesday night, the DC Public Library Foundation, a non-profit that supports the mission of the District public libraries, opened the doors of the soon to be finished Georgetown Library to the group’s donors.

The crowd was given the chance to poke around the new space, from the funky childrens library in the basement to the Peabody collection in the third floor. (GM will have a complete set of photos of the new space for you next week).

And the new Peabody Collection and Reading Room is a fantastic new addition to the refurbished space. Occupying what once was the attic, the precious collection hosts a treasure trove of Georgetown history. Jerry McCoy, the special collections librarian in charge of the Peabody collection, has taken to calling it “Georgetown’s Attic.” Check out some of the artifacts on display Tuesday night:

An old Beall Street sign (Beall Street was renamed O St., and by the way it’s pronounced “bell”).

Clock from the old Peabody Room, frozen in time from just a few minutes after the fire started. Interesting story: had the cupola fallen to the east instead of to the west, the entire Peabody collection would have been lost. Thankfully it wasn’t, and after some high tech freezing and recovery, the vast majority of the collection survived. Continue reading →

The fences around the Georgetown Library came down the other day, which gave GM and chance to poke around the building as it nears completion. He took a few shots, so check them out:

Above is the new ramp that goes from the side walk up the the front door. It’s well done and merges into the landscaping when you look at the building from the front.

There is a large patio right out the back door of the library. Below that is a sloping terrace down to the lower level. This is where the children’s library will be. The sloping terrace allows a lot of light in. Continue reading →