John Passmore Edwards

Bodmin Free Library and Art and Science Schools

1897

The library was built by Sampson Trehane, of Liskeard , at a cost £3500

Shortly after opening, on 11 December 1897, the Town Clerk wrote to Silvanus Trevail refering to problems of walls and ceilings "which had fallen down" and to defective Bath Stone on the SW window. Trehane undertook to make good these defects but there was further damage reported when the mullion "fell away" later that month.
The Library Committee were required to approve repairs to the roof in January 1898 and in September of that year repairs were required to the mullions on the North end window. Again, in 1900, the Borough Surveyor reported that the SW Bath Stone window had been gradually giving way with the presure of the weight of the wall above. The lintel had broken in 4 places and the transom and Mullion had also broken. He recommended that the window should be taken down and replaced to prevent further settlement and damage. By the end of 1900 a petition had been signed by 147 library users calling for the repairs to be put in hand.

In 1953 the Cornwall County Council took control of all libraries in the County. As demand on the library changed, changes to the internal arrangements were made to reflect these. Borrowers could choose their own books and to create a larger area where the books could be displayed part of the internal wall between the newspaper room, borrowers lobby lending department and librarians room was demolished. This large room was filled with fixed shelving in rows. Little alteration was made to the first floor although the use of the rooms changed to meet the changing needs.

During the 1970's serious problems with the structure of the building were discovered. Serious cracks in the west wall were detected whilst in 1977 the partial colapse of the ceiling to the first floor store room highlighted an ongoing problem of leaks from the roof through defective lead flashings and valley timbers despite many localised repairs. In 1978 John Garrett & Sons of Truro commenced a 26 week contract to carry out the extensive necessary repairs at a cost of £39,510.

The corner joining the SE and SW elevations had sunken considerably over the years. This settlement opened up cracks in the stonework and caused surface water not to be shed from the area but to towards the foundation.

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© Dean Evans 2004

September 5, 2005