Selectmen ask $350,000 to stabilize and evaluate Libby Museum after structural assessment

The Board of Selectmen recommended a warrant article on Jan. 15 asking voters to appropriate $350,000 to engineer and stabilize the Libby Museum's building, remove its collection safely, and obtain cost estimates for further renovation. The museum has been closed since summer 2024 after mold, moisture and structural concerns led the selectmen to restrict access.

Selectman Paul O'Brien and town staff described a December structural report that used the word "collapse" in discussing the building's condition. Town manager Jim (presented in meeting materials) summarized required work including replacing compromised columns along the north wall, repairing sills and floor joists, addressing cracked beam shims, plumb concrete piers, foundation crack repairs, and roof framing and replacement.

"We have a collection of Doctor Libby and others in that facility. We believe that we can't go into that facility and remove that collection until the building is structurally braced," O'Brien said. The article includes funds to brace the building sufficiently to permit artifact removal and secure temporary storage while the town develops a longer‑term plan.

If voters do not approve funding, the town manager said the selectmen may need to seek guidance from the New Hampshire Attorney General's office because the museum and its collections are subject to trust agreement provisions.

The Board recommended the warrant article 5–0 and asked residents to review the H. L. Turner structural report posted on the town website and to contact staff with questions.