The Library Building

Budel Construction finished rehabilitating the bell tower and second story dormers. We held an autumn celebration  with bell ringing and invited everyone to join us. The building is looking beautiful - but there are still some needed repairs to the roof and window replacements. We will keep you posted. Thank you for supporting  your local library!

In December 2018, the Milton Free Public Library celebrated a $36,357 Grant Award from NH’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP).  This matching grant will help us make much needed repairs to our  beautiful bell tower. Pictured at right, Executive Councilor Joe Kenney,  Library Trustee Larry Brown, LCHIP’s executive director Dijit Taylor,  Governor Chris Sununu, Library Trustee Laurie Palmeira, Librarian Ruth Gutman, and Library Trustee Nancy Drew. It was an exciting day in  Concord as we accepted our award alongside the other recipients.

In February 2016, Eagle Scout candidate David Bloser sanded the floor in  the large room upstairs, revealing beautiful floors. The Eagle Scout's  fundraising efforts resulted in enough funds to finish the floors AND  provide a volunteer effort to paint the room, resulting in a beautiful  new space for our creative play and summer reading programs.

In summer 2015 more work was done as the Trustees received a Moose Plate Grant of $8000 from the New Hampshire Council on the Arts. This money helped  the Town of Milton purchase and install a lift for universal access to  all first floor library services and programs.

In December of 2014, the Trustees of the Milton Free Public Library were  awarded $14,789 from the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program  (LCHIP) that the library matched ($18,086 from the Milton Free Public  Library Capital Reserve Fund) to re-side and paint the entire first  floor exterior of the building and repair the exterior trim. Windows  were also repaired.

In 2012, the Trustees of the Milton Free  Public Library hired Team Engineering from Goffstown, NH to inspect  "The Little Red Schoolhouse" and make recommendations about immediate  and long term repairs to our historic building.

In response to that report,  the Trustees and the Town of Milton addressed several items  immediately: A fire alarm was installed, the septic system was repaired,  and the electrical service was brought up to current code for outlets  and signage.

By  using capital reserve funds set up by the Library Trustees and the  Milton Board of Selectmen, and additional money from the buildings and  grounds line of Milton Public Works, we also did the following work: The  library roof was repaired and shingled, the brick foundation was  re-pointed and repaired, and the second floor egress was rebuilt. First  and second floor joists have been repaired where indicated, new support  columns added, and a new bulkhead door and support masonry for cellar  access were installed as part of our general maintenance program.