ALTAVISTA — Staunton River Memorial Library’s clock tower will be shorter for the next two months as crews restore and repair it.
Thursday morning, a crane quickly removed the wooden gazebo-like top to the clock tower and replaced it with a temporary roof to keep birds and moisture out. The structure was then taken by truck to a town parking lot, where it will sit while being worked on.
Recent inspections showed that the wood in the 15-foot-tall top was rotting and needed restoration, said town public works director John Tomlin.
“The major hope is that most of the rotting is on the surface and the wood underneath will be OK,” he said.
If not, town carpenters will rebuild portions.
The project, which has a $25,000 budget, is the first step in repairing ongoing roof leakage at the library, Once restored, the top will be put back on the clock tower and repairs to other parts of the building and roof will begin.
Officials closed the library during Thursday’s move as a safety precaution, but it was reopened by early afternoon.
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