The year 1912 was a great one for the windows at the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library. Back then, when the building was still a post office, the panes were shiny and new.
In 2026, those original windows are still around — and they’ve seen better days.
“We had a pretty terrible winter with water and ice infiltration,” library Director Jamie Falo said.
That’s why Falo and library officials are pleased to have qualified for a second consecutive round of Keystone Grant state funding, matched with local money to undertake a $1.5 million renovation.
“You can apply once every five years, and we received a Keystone Grant in 2020,” Falo said. “It allowed us to do an initial phase of renovations on infrastructure things like mechanical and plumbing.”
The $750,000 grant, matched by the library, will fund a series of upgrades, including a new roof and windows, as well as the replacement of outdoor railings and a nearly 50-year-old elevator.
“We’ll also be able to repair some of the water damage the building has suffered the past few years,” Falo said.
With a 114-year-old building, ongoing maintenance can be a big financial challenge.
“We’ve had a financial adviser who’s helped us build our matching funds up with some bequests from generous donors,” Falo said. “We’ll select an architect, do the design work and then put it out to bid.”
Nearby in Mt. Pleasant, the Free Library will put a $131,120 grant to use with a new roof, new lighting and new carpeting inside the building and the conversion of a restroom to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Executive Director Sarah Buzzard said rising costs over the past couple of years could make the renovations more expensive.
“I’m concerned about inflation making our costs more than we anticipated,” she said. “There are always some costs you don’t anticipate when they pull the roof up, but I think inflation is going to make accomplishing this project within our current budget difficult.”
Buzzard said the library is still committed to completing the work.
Grant-funded projects must be completed by end of September 2027.
