submitted by Debbie Orman  

 

With $111,790.63 in their account, Saluda Community Help is almost one third of their way to realizing its goal of a paying for a public library building for Saluda. 

 

A tidy $70,000 has been invested in CD’s with the rest in money market funds. 

 

The money has been raised through various community projects beginning with a Poetry Fling in August 1996, and including holiday home tours, a sock hop and golf tournaments. 

 

Money has even been donated to the project by people “just passing through Saluda,” according to project coordinator Melody Gibson. 

 

To raise the remaining two-thirds, the group is planning a silent auction, a spring golf tournament and another holiday home tour. 

 

Gibson said she commends Saluda for responding so enthusiastically to each event and getting involved in each project. 

 

“It has been a positive experience for everyone in the community and everyone will benefit.” Gibson said. 

 

Saluda has not had a library since the 1940’s and that library was family-owned and operated. 

 

The current library quest actually began nine years ago with the formation of Saluda Community Help, a nonprofit, charitable, educational and cultural organization. 

 

The nine-member board overseeing the library project looked for years for a suitable building. 

 

In 1996, Nolan Pace ended that search by donation the historic “Martin Tea Room” on Main Street to the City of Saluda, with the stipulation that is be turned into a library and be operational by December 1, 1999. 

 

The building was everything the committee had been searching for with good location, access, and parking. In addition it included room for community meeting areas on the second floor. A preliminary estimate of costs to turn the building into a Saluda branch library is $350,000. 

 

Gibson reports that the geotechnical study has been completed by the Law Corp. Also an engineering study has been completed by Sutton Kinnerly of Asheville. 

 

The project organizers are now consulting with architect Bill O’Cain of Hendersonville about the elevator, handicap ramps and interior/exterior elements. All asbestos associated with an outdated heating system has been removed from the building and the interior has been stripped to get it ready for new electrical and plumbing systems. 

 

Major renovations will begin with the coming of warmer, drier weather and acceptance of the architectural study. 

 

A state grant has been applied to renovate the historic building and the outcome should be known by the end of February or the first of March. These additional monies would help the library project to proceed more quickly and possibly beat their deadline. 

 

Once the library is completely functional it will be transferred to the City of Saluda. Saluda has already committed to paying for the utilities and the physical upkeep of the building. Polk County has promised to make the Saluda library a branch of the county library system, providing a part time librarian, rotating books through Saluda’s facility and hooking Saluda into the county wide computer system. 

 

Melody Gibson reported that the steering committee from Saluda Community Help hopes to have an adult reading series operational next fall as their first actual library activity.