Ritchie Secures $100,000 for Flower Memorial Library

Senate Select Committee on Libraries Chair State Senator Patty Ritchie is announcing she has secured $100,000 for the historic Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library in Watertown, to help it complete a major part of its ongoing renovation project.

The funding Senator Ritchie provided helped the library to install a new heating and cooling system. Staff members at the 112-year-old building were able to show off the system at a recent open house. Crews were able to install the system without losing any of the library’s historical elements.

“The Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library is one of the true historical treasures in the North Country.  Giving libraries, like Flower Memorial, a chance to upgrade to the latest in both technology and infrastructure—while not losing its sense of history—is exactly what they need to continue to thrive,” Senator Ritchie said. “This project helps ensure the North Country community can use and enjoy this library for generations to come.”

“We appreciate Senator Ritchie’s consistent and unending support for all libraries, and especially the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library,” Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library Director Yvonne Reff said. “The 150,000 people who come into our library each year can now better enjoy our beautiful library.”

Built in memory of former New York State Governor Roswell P. Flower by his daughter, Emma Taylor, the library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

(In the photo, Senator Ritchie is seen honoring local ‘Women of Distinction’ for their contributions to our region at a special ceremony held at the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library.)