New room ready for opening
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Stevens Memorial Library is preparing for the grand opening of the Ruth B. Whittemore Preservation Room on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

The room is named after the major benefactor for the project, Ruth Whitemore, who gives to the library through an annual trust set up in her name for the library and several other community service organizations, said Library Director Cheryl Paul-Bradley.

"She lived here all her life," Paul-Bradley said. "She lived right on Water Street."

The concept of a preservation room was first discussed seven years ago, Paul-Bradley said. But she said the money just wasn't there, so when the library was named as part of the Whittemore Estate Paul-Bradley determined this would be a good use.

For four years the library has used the money to produce the $160,000 room, Paul-Bradley said.

"It metes all of the archival requirements. The air conditioning is set for the achieves," Paul-Bradley said.

The room still has to be furnished and collections materials will be being added to it for sometime, she said.

The collection will start with the Maclom C. Stewart files, she said. Stewart left the town cabinets of paper describing the town in many ways, including historical accounts of future plans.

"He was pretty involved in the town," Paul-Bradley said.

She added that Joseph VonDeck and Robert Phelps plan to add their collections of historical town documents and research to the library's collection after their respective deaths.

There will also be the addition of other library material collected over the years.

Paul-Bradley said there haven't been decisions made with the Historical Society and the local churches about whether the library will store their records or not.

"There are a lot of town achieves that need to be preserve," she said. "It needs the environment. It needs the temp controls. This was the right time for the room."

Whittemore, who worked as a nurse, had no survivors and she would usually visit the library twice a week, Paul-Bradley recalled. Her father was a prominent businessman in Ashburnham.

Ruth B. Whittemore Charitable Fund is also giving money to a variety of organizations, said Paul-Bradley.

"We all get a percentage each year," she said. T h grand opening for the room is on Wednesday, Nov. 7, and the room will be open from 6 to p.m. at the library.