Friends of Staunton Library to hold terrace project groundbreaking May 6

The Friends of the Staunton Library are thrilled to announce that construction on the Terrace Project will begin in May.

Safety fencing will be installed today to restrict access to the construction site in preparation for the project. Work to excavate and install foundations for the year-round shade structure will then take place during the first half of May, followed by hardscaping patio construction. Work will continue throughout the summer, and periodic updates will be announced via the Staunton Public Library’s website and social media accounts.

In celebration, the Friends will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, May 6 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend to hear some brief remarks from board members and kick off the project. The Friends will also host a ribbon cutting and grand opening event later in the year to celebrate the terrace’s completion.

The Friends of the Staunton Library were humbled to receive an estate gift from longtime Friend of the Library and former board member Julia Kiessling. She designated the Friends of the Staunton Library as a beneficiary of her estate, leaving more than $500,000 to the organization when she died in 2022. She served on the Friends of the Staunton Library Board from 2018 to 2019 and was the newsletter editor during her term.

“Julia was an enthusiastic supporter of our mission, dedicating her time and effort in support of public library services. We truly miss her and are grateful for her incredible generosity,” said Director of Library Services Sarah Skrobis.

The Friends designated a portion of the bequest to fund the new Terrace, a renovation project to improve the Staunton Public Library grounds. The project will create a tiered terrace to serve as visitor seating and as event space for library programs. The project involves the transformation of the yard at the north end of the building to create a patio space, hardscape seating built into the hillside, a new accessible path to the raised terrace area, and a permanent shade structure. When completed, all physical components of the project will be donated to the City of Staunton by the Friends.