Shortly before midnight last Friday, Railroad Street in Johnson was lit up like a Christmas tree, thanks to a bunch of floodlights. There were about 100 folks hanging out on the road and sidewalk, including construction workers, utility workers, fire department peeps, sheriff’s department members, emergency medical services, and 16 volunteers. Even the residents were chilling on their front steps.
They all came together to witness and help out as the Johnson Public Library building, an old historic gem, was slowly being relocated to its new spot on School Street, which was like half a mile away. There was a cool banner, painted by some local kids, that said: “Rewriting Our Story.”
The library in Johnson had been dealing with some serious flooding issues, especially in recent years. Usually, the basement would get flooded, but in July 2023, the water levels rose higher and reached the main floor, ruining about 1,500 books. This forced the library, which was built in 1909, to be gutted and abandoned. A temporary library set up shop in the basement of Johnson’s Masonic Temple in September 2023.
The plan was always to get the historic library building back up and running. But the big questions were when, how, and where it would happen. Last year, the library board caught wind of a grant from the Vermont Department of Libraries that aimed to ensure everyone had internet access. Library director Jeanne Engel, town administrator Thomas Galinat, and some board members put together an application in a jiffy and found out in the fall that they scored $1.68 million.
The cash would cover the moving costs, the creation of a three-foot foundation, and a 1,650 square-foot addition to the back of the old building. They needed the extra space for a computer lab and a private room for telehealth calls, as per the grant requirements. The front room would be open for community use. The project had to wrap up by December 2026, and extra funds would have to be raised for furnishing the building.
But first things first, the move. Late Friday night, the crews got the ball rolling — or rather, the building rolling. The library was lifted up and set on wheeled dollies, ready to hit the road. It was a slow and steady process, with workers from New England Building Movers scurrying around to make sure everything was on point. They even had to deal with a popped tire at one point.
The building had its toughest challenge making the initial turn onto Railroad Street. It was a one-story structure spanning around 1,800 square feet, and it had to do some back and forth dance moves to get through. Some bricks and concrete bits fell off, and there was a gentle bump into an apartment building. Brian Raulinaitis, the lead volunteer, had to do some trimming to get the building past the obstacle.
After some tight maneuvers, the library finally straightened out, ready to tackle Route 15. Town officials had shut down the state road for a few hours to make way for the library’s journey. By the wee hours of Saturday, the building was ready to turn onto Pearl Street, which took a whole hour. They just made it off the state road in time to avoid a fine.
As the library glided over the Pearl Street bridge, the sky lightened up, the crowd grew, and rain started to fall. The bridge crossing was a sight to see, with the brick building hanging over the railings and some lampposts getting removed to make way. Railroad ties were laid down to level the ground for the dollies.
In the early morning glow, the library stood out against the bridge and sky, crossing over the Gihon River that had caused it so much trouble in the past. The hope was that it was the last time the river and the library would meet in such a dramatic fashion.
By 10:45 a.m., the library was in its new spot, thanks to the Lamoille North Supervisory Union transferring the lot for a steal at $10. A shindig kicked off at 11:30 at Legion Field, with the moving crew still tweaking the building’s position. Food, T-shirts, bookmark-making, and a guessing game were on the agenda, courtesy of town committees and local businesses.
Adrienne Parker, a Johnson Selectboard member and project volunteer, had put in loads of hours to make things happen. She knew that moving the building was a step towards being ready for more floods, but there was still more work to do. The town might need more green spaces in the floodplain to stay on top of things.
Engel, the library director, summed it up nicely: “So much of this project has been people stepping up and getting things done.”
The library’s now aiming to raise $200,000 to furnish the building, with donations coming in from GW Tatro for site work, Johnson Hardware & Rental for equipment, and Two Sons bakery for some tasty treats at the celebration.
Seems like Johnson is on the right track to tackle its flooding issues and give its beloved library a fresh start.
