Watch It! You Just Stepped On Esteemed Piermont Resident Andrew G. Rooks, Esq.

Well, sort of—you stepped on his charity brick in front of Piermont Library.

But before discussing the reading room's current—and long-lasting—brick-engraving initiative, let's start at the beginning.

When you plug Piermont Library into your GPS, it brings you to a residential street on a steep hill—clearly, something isn't right. The library is right downtown, on the main landing, but it hasn't always been.

Piermont Library had a rough start, moving from a rented location above an ice cream parlor to wherever else was available. It was officially registered as a library back in 1896, but it wasn't until 1909 that the library found a permanent home.

It's first official location was in Hudson Terrace's Greek Revival home, and was purchased for just $3,000 dollars.

(Now, Piermont is looking to buy a single solar-powered trash compactor for about that price; what a difference inflation makes!)

The now-defunct Piermont Improvement Association was at first in charge of raising the funds to keep the library going. But as decades went by, it became more and more evident that the village was growing out of its modest library—the amount of books in the small space were overwhelming, and the parking was a major problem. It wasn't accessible for residents unable to climb stairs, either.

So, even though the library had a rich history, it was decided in the 1980s that it needed to move to a more suitable location. When Piermont Landing was being created, an area to build a new library was discussed. A new group, The Friends of Piermont, was created to help raise the money necessary for construction.

In 2007, The Dennis P. McHugh Piermont Public Library was completed (it's named for a fallen firefighter who passed in 9/11). McHugh's family's foundation donated $500,000 to help bring the library to life for all residents to enjoy.

But the library needed further funds; enter the engraved bricks lining its walkway.

Library officials enacted a program to raise money and honor donors; sell engraved bricks that lead up to the building's entrance.

"So far, about 80 to 85 bricks have been sold," explained Jessica Bowen, the library's director. "They sold faster in the beginning during the construction, but have slowed since."

People write all sorts of things on the bricks, like family names, quotes, and memories, Bowen said. It is a nice reminder every time you go to the library how people care about their community, she added.

Although the "buy an engraved brick" project was originally meant to last only through construction, it remains ongoing today. With no set monetary goal, the library will continue selling bricks until they run out of space; there is, afterall, always room for improvement, Bowen explained.

Bricks cost $250 dollars, and donors may write up to two lines text on it. Each brick is featured on the "Path of Friends" walkway in front of the library's entrance.

Interested? Click here for more information.