Awards of Excellence:

Coal Creek Library

The Coal Creek Library Association was established in 1859; the library building was constructed in 1900 by community craftsmen and laborers. Community members and groups actively supported the library and helped maintain the building for more than 120 years.

Rehabilitation of the Coal Creek Library began with a project to address moist conditions in the whole town of Vinland. Douglas County Public Works and Palmyra Township engineers and work crews designed and installed additional culverts and worked on drainage ditches in 2018-2019.

A 2020 Heritage Trust Fund grant supported work to improve drainage on the library site and to repair 120 years of deterioration due to moisture, weather and age. The scope of work was determined in consultation with the project architect, engineer, and SHPO, and followed the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, with a focus on preserving primary character-defining features. Original materials were retained and protected (sandstone foundation rock, pressed metal siding on W, windows and window hoods, porch trim, and stair railing). New materials (W F Norman pressed metal [galvanized] siding on N, E, S; porch ceiling, porch flooring, concrete steps, screen door) replicated original materials. Some new materials were installed (treated wood floor joists and sill plate, concrete foundation below grade, new electrical system, lightnIng rod system, guttering and downspout system, attic insulation, exterior and interior paint).

The building moving contractor and general contractor worked collaboratively with project managers to implement the project work. Community volunteers helped catalog, pack, and move library collections out of the building, and did some of the preparation and painting work; the Douglas County Community Foundation granted funds for storage costs. Donations from community members provided the 20 per cent HTF project match and an endowment fund for building maintenance in the future.