Carrier Renovation Work Uncovers Hidden Gems from 1939

Posted October 24, 2023 in Carrier Renovation News, Feature Friday, JMU Libraries News

Do you know that feeling you get when you find something you didn’t even realize was lost? It’s that mix of gratitude and delight with a dash of surprise. That’s the feeling we had in the Libraries when we uncovered the decorative column capitals that had adorned Carrier Library since the original building opened in 1939. A few of them had been visible in the historic entrance lobby, but most had been covered by drop ceilings installed in the 1960s. 

“As part of the pre-construction planning, the design team needed to confirm existing conditions in the building,” recalled Kelly Miller-Martin, the Libraries’ Director of Facilities Operations. “So pretty early on, the team peeked above the drop-ceiling tiles and got a glimpse at one of the capitals. When Carrier closed, they removed the tiles, and we saw how many of them remain.” There are well over a dozen ornate column capitals in portions of the original building, some of which are painted a lustrous birds-egg blue.

These decorative elements will remain and will be visible in the historic lobby and one of the open study areas on the first floor when Carrier Library re-opens in the fall of 2026. Just one more way that we are preserving the past while creating the future.  

Learn more in this additional story: Connecting the Past and the Future of Carrier Library with 3D Technology.