Located just north of Dayton, the city of Piqua is a rural community that dates to the early 19th century. The city has approximately 20,000 residents, along with a distinctive history that includes Presidential visits and several milestone events in the prohibition and civil rights eras.

Much of that history is on display in Piqua Public Library, now housed within a Richardson Romanesque building constructed in 1891 in the heart of downtown. Formerly the Fort Piqua Hotel, the landmark structure had been vacant and in disrepair for many years, until a comprehensive renovation recently transformed the gem into the library's new home.

"The trustees wanted us to remain downtown," says Director James Oda. "We looked at every possible option, but we just kept coming back to the old hotel. A lot of people thought we were crazier than loons, but sometimes you have to let your imagination soar. In many ways, with our focus on community culture and history, this building seemed like a natural."

The decision might have been easier but for the deteriorated condition of the building and the constraints of the historic preservation requirements—a challenge when attempting to create a modern library space. The building's vacant status had left it in dire condition, with antiquated systems, structural deficiencies, hazardous materials, and animal infestation.

The committee's vision, however, was fully realized after a painstaking $19.7 million renovation and restoration process—an effort that earned the city a Heritage Ohio Public Improvement Award. Opened to the public in October 2008, the project transformed 80,000 square feet into an inviting new library with additional space for public events and has inspired many small cities and towns throughout Ohio to consider similar projects.

"Much of the layout wasn't conducive to an open, welcoming library space," said Randy Gibson, P.E., principal-in-charge for the design firm PSA-Dewberry. "There were many elements that needed to remain in place, though, because of their historic significance."

The project team, which included PSA-Dewberry, MKC Associates, and historic preservation specialists Jeff Wray and Associates, was able to envision both the opportunities and challenges. "You could really see the potential," said Gibson. "There were a lot of historic elements that were unique—the women's stairs at the front of the building, for example, reflected a time when it was considered inappropriate for women to come into the hotel and see men smoking and playing cards."

Gibson also notes that the lower level was ideal for a children's area. "The ceilings are lowest there," he said, "which works well with the lower shelving required in a children's space. The foundation walls were all stacked stone, which enabled us to create a castlelike feel. That kind of detail couldn't have been replicated in modern construction—it's the real deal."

On the first floor, the architectural team needed to preserve a formal lobby with a fireplace yet insert the main circulation area, circulation desk, and spaces for new materials and media. The second floor houses adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as the library's technology area. Two of the hotel rooms—required to remain in place owing to their historic relevance—were furnished as business spaces; a large room with a turret became a boardroom.

The design team maintained the original balcony to the second level and the original backlit skylight above. "This is a formal historic space as you come in," said Oda, "but it also has very comfortable seating areas off the mezzanine. The lobby is elegant and formal, but sometimes you just want to curl up in a comfortable chair next to a lamp."

Oda noted that the building's restored historic spaces have enabled the library, which operates the Piqua Historical Museum, to celebrate community history and culture in a setting well suited to the programs and collections. "There are many interesting historical highlights here," such as "the hotel [being] the site of an NAACP lunch counter sit-in for civil rights in 1947. We're able to talk about our history in a very real and physical way."

Presidential visits get remembered in the Presidents Room, Oda added. "Another room is now the 'Veterans Room,' where we have military exhibits and special presentations. A corridor that had to be maintained became our art gallery. The ability to display historical collections in this setting has engendered other donations—we recently received a collection of Steiff bears that we are currently exhibiting in the children's area. We're primarily a library, but we are also promoters of community, culture, and history."