Upcoming Programs Commemorate 1863 Battle of Springfield, Marmaduke’s Raid and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation; Architect Selected for Brentwood Branch Library Renovation
If the movie “Lincoln” or past battle re-enactments moved you to delve further into Civil War history, you’ll want to see the series of events planned in January honoring the 1863 Battle of Springfield, Marmaduke’s Raid and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Beginning Jan. 8, the library and six other partners will sponsor 12 live performances, lectures and tours at the Library Center. Exhibits will be at seven sites including Springfield and Hartville, cities targeted during Marmaduke’s Raid of 1863.
Among the highlights, living history scholar Fritz Klein will portray Lincoln; scholars will discuss Marmaduke’s Raid, the Battles of Springfield and Hartville, enslaved families, bushwhackers and more. New battle markers will also be unveiled downtown.
See a complete schedule in the Bookends magazine at any library or online at thelibrary.org/programs and click the Bookends icon.
_ _ _
Among the library district’s eclectic mix of historic and modern buildings is one of the busiest and most popular, the Brentwood Branch. People often use the words “cozy” and “intimate” to describe the 41-year-old library. So do the architects who will oversee Brentwood’s renovation project.
It’s official: Dake Wells Architecture has been selected to design Brentwood’s major renovation. His firm is also working with library planning consultants Clark Huesemann, of Lawrence, Kan. The architects are in the “listening phase” now, and concept drawings could be ready by late winter 2013. There is no construction timeline yet. The project is estimated to cost about $2 million and is expected to be funded through private gifts and a capital campaign conducted by the Library Foundation.
Architect Andrew Wells, the firm’s principal in charge of the project, appreciates Brentwood’s personality and scale. He lives nearby and that’s his family’s branch. But his role now is to learn what makes it a special and memorable place for Brentwood’s patrons.
“People like the kind of service they get, and the personal attention,” Andrew says. “…We’re trying to be conscious of how the architecture may affect that, and really what we’re trying to do is improve upon that.”
This is an important project not only for the library, but for the neighborhood and the community, Andrew says. “These are the types of projects our firm is interested in doing in Springfield because of the way they serve people and affect people.”
Find this article at http://thelibrary.org/blogs/article.cfm?aid=2128&lid=63