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TO ALL DARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL AND BOWERS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI......

            As many of you already know, the Darlington Public Library is planning to expand by building an addition on the east side of the present Carnegie building. The new building will be handicapped accessible and will also double the space that we currently have for books, magazines, movies, and reference materials.
            The Carnegie building that all of you are familiar with was built in 1915 with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation. It has served and will continue to serve the community as a town center for information, a meeting place, and a focal point of downtown Darlington. The library was designed by a Darlington High School graduate, Hubert Peterson, and it is a very unique structure, with its green tile roof, arched front entrance, solid oak bookshelves, and decorative wooden ceiling beams. With its many windows, one does not even need lighting on most days. Through the efforts of present and past library boards of directors, this building remains in excellent condition.
            However, one factor that has always been a problem is that the current building is not handicapped accessible. Many people are unable to visit the library because of the steep steps in front. The restrooms are located downstairs, and the cost of renovating the building to make it handicapped accessible would be too prohibitive and would also ruin the unique architecture of the facility.
            Our library board members have been discussing this issue for many years and have wanted to expand, but were prohibited from doing so because no space was available. Last spring, however, the Darlington Town Board members, consisting of Kim Lough Carpenter, Mary Lou Weliever and Charles Taylor voted to donate the town-owned lot that is just east of the library to us for a proposed expansion.
            The library board decided then to go ahead with the project, a separate building that will be connected to the current building by means of enclosed portion. An estimate of the building costs and furnishings is $175,000. There will be various fees for legal work, permits, advertising, site development, etc. Which could add on an estimated $25,000, but we do not expect the total cost to exceed $200,000.
            We do not want to use property taxes to finance this project. During the last 17 years, we have been able to save approximately $100,000 in various funds, so we are already half-way there.  In the last few months, another $15,000 has been donated by present and former Darlington residents. With an additional $3,000 saved in the 2006 budget, we now stand at approximately $118,000 in funding.
            Now we are asking for your help. As former students at Darlington and Bowers, most of you certainly utilized the Darlington Library for reports or research of a school topic. And how many times did you walk to the library to choose a new book to read for entertainment? Some of you had meetings in the basement room, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts gatherings. The Book Lovers, Garden Club, and many other groups also met at the library. Why, some of you “younger” ones even had school classes there for a few years!
            We have to face facts. Darlington is not what it used to be. The closing of the school here in town, the onslaught of large discount businesses such as Wal-mart, and the building of State Road 47 around Darlington have all contributed to the virtual demise of the downtown business district.  Not unlike many small Indiana towns, most of the buildings are now inhabited by people who have converted the former buildings into residences. I can remember my father searching for a parking place on Main Street on Friday or Saturday night. That, I can assure you, is no longer a problem!
            The citizens of Darlington started organizing into committees last year in an effort to revitalize the town. There is a determined effort in progress to bring in business, bring back Pioneer Days, beautify the town, and provide recreational opportunities for our citizens, young and old alike. And these are just a few of the areas they are concentrating on at the moment.
            Our goal, as a governmental entity, is to start with the centerpiece of Darlington…the public library.  A new building, attached to the present structure, will provide more opportunities for people to utilize a vast number of resources. Yes, our goal is to make our library handicapped accessible, but we also can expand the juvenile section, add computers, increase the local history and genealogy section, and provide more space for various groups and organizations to meet.
            In the current buildings basement, we have a Darlington Town and School Museum, in which hundreds of items of local history are on display. We can certainly display more of these items if we have more space. We want the youth of today to become aware of and appreciate the history of Darlington, Bowers, and the local community.
            We hope you can help us realize our goal and help us financially in our fundraising effort.
            After the new addition is completed, a permanent plaque will be mounted near the entrance to recognize and thank those of you who have helped contribute funds for this project.
            Please click here to see how you can help.