Dublin officials hope renovations at Carnegie Library draw more people to city

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Carnegie Library is getting a major face lift inside, and officials say the building, that has been open for more than 100 years, has stood the test of time. 

If you walk inside…

Construction is almost complete. 

There’s sanding, buffering, and polishing of woodwork displaying century-old craftsmanship. 

Dublin’s Carnegie Library is one of three in the state to maintain its original look. 

"The ones that weren’t torn down, many of them were modified or changed. We were lucky that this building was still looking the way it did, essentially the way it did in 1904," Joshua Kight, the executive director of Dublin’s Downtown Development Authority, said. 

He says the city’s historical preservation society wanted to keep it that way. 

The 2,000 square feet building is going through a major change to showcase the city. 

"In those days $10,000 would build a building that today would cost over a million dollars to construct," Kight said.

For more than a hundred years, the library has been at the center of the city of Dublin. Now the downtown development authority wants to use that to attract thousands of tourists to the library and the city.

"We’re going to start with the state art exhibit in July, late July. It will also be a space for receptions and meetings for local community groups," Kight said. 

The library, turned museum, now multipurpose facility will house artwork, all while keeping it’s historical charm. 

There’s brass door handles, marble and pine wood floors from the 1800’s and even the original tiling and molding. 

Kight says the first phase of renovations cost about $70,000, all paid for using grant money. 

Plans are to open the library in late July, with the first event being the state art exhibit.