City of Staunton

April 28, 2025 – The Friends of the Staunton Library are thrilled to announce that construction on their Terrace Project will begin in May. Safety fencing will be installed Monday, April 28 to restrict access to the construction site in preparation for the project. Work to excavate and install foundations for the year-round shade structure will then take place during the first half of May, followed by hardscaping patio construction. Work will continue throughout the summer, and periodic updates will be announced via the Staunton Public Library’s website and social media accounts.

In celebration, the Friends will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, May 6 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend to hear some brief remarks from board members and kick off this project. The Friends will also host a ribbon cutting and grand opening event later in the year to celebrate the Terrace’s completion.

Terrace Project Background

The Friends of the Staunton Library were humbled to receive an estate gift from longtime Friend of the Library and former board member Julia Kiessling. Ms. Kiessling designated the Friends of the Staunton Library as a beneficiary of her estate, leaving over $500,000 to the organization upon her death in 2022. She served on the Friends of the Staunton Library Board from 2018 – 2019 and was the newsletter editor during her term. “Julia was an enthusiastic supporter of our mission, dedicating her time and effort in support of public library services. We truly miss her and are grateful for her incredible generosity,” said Director of Library Services Sarah Skrobis.

The Friends designated a portion of that generous bequest to fund the new Terrace, a renovation project to improve the Staunton Public Library grounds. The project will create a tiered terrace to serve as visitor seating and as event space for library programs. The project involves the transformation of the yard at the north end of the building to create a patio space, hardscape seating built into the hillside, a new accessible path to the raised terrace area, and a permanent shade structure. When completed, all physical components of this project will be donated to the City of Staunton by the Friends.

Terrace Project Page

 Latest Project Presentation to Council

About The Friends of the Staunton Library

The Friends of the Staunton Library is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides volunteer support and raises funds to enhance the programming, technology and collections of the Staunton Public Library.

About the Staunton Public Library

The mission of the Staunton Public Library is to acquire, organize, and provide access and guidance to a wide variety of information and materials which help to fulfill the intellectual, educational, social and recreational needs of all the people in the city. To do so, it provides a wealth of both physical and digital resources. Staunton Public Library is also a member of the Valley Libraries Connection with Augusta County and Waynesboro Public Libraries. More information about the library can be found at www.StauntonLibrary.org or by calling 540.332.3902.