The James Library Building was completed in 1900, designed by New England architects Willard Adden and Charles Brigham. Funds for the building's construction and the adjacent park were a gift from Madison philanthropist D. Willis James, for whom the library was named. A stately and commanding structure located in the Madison Commercial Historic District, the building is significant as a rare non-religious example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in the county. Both the exterior and interior are notable for their quality and design. The building served as the town library until 1969, when it became home to the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts. 

The 2021 Trust grant will help fund the adaptive reuse of an existing archive storage space into an interactive, state-of-the-art collections space. The collections space will feature a viewing window and intercom so that visitors can learn from the conservation staff and better understand the behind-the-scenes process of METC. The scope of work also includes critical interventions to eliminate water infiltration in the lower level.    

The 2020 Trust grant will help fund the creation of a Feasibility Study and construction documents to guide the creation of a visible collections storage facility in the basement level of the Madison Public Library building. The 2012 Trust grant helped fund the preparation of a capital campaign strategy that will focus on raising funds for major building needs, such as roof and masonry restoration. The 1996 Trust grant for interior restoration helped uncover the building's most dramatic architectural features--groined vaulting, decorative stained glass and stenciling, fireplaces, handsome light fixtures and intricate woodwork. A 1992 Trust grant funded exterior restoration work. 

For more information, visit: https://www.metc.org/