Haverhill Public Library Begins $17 Million Overhaul in May

Renovation to bring more light, flexible spaces, and a dedicated teen area to the library.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The Haverhill Public Library is set to undergo a major $17 million renovation project starting in May 2026. The overhaul will add large picture windows, a new teen-friendly area, an enlarged entrance, and other improvements to the 1960s-era building. The project will be funded by a $14 million bequest and a $3 million capital campaign.

Why it matters

The renovation aims to modernize and expand the Haverhill Public Library, which has served the community since 1875. The updates will create more flexible, light-filled spaces and a dedicated teen area, helping the library better meet the evolving needs of local residents.

The details

The renovation plans include new picture windows and an accessible entrance on the Summer Street side, a new teen library, an open Children's Room, an expanded first-floor atrium, and new small meeting rooms. The outdated electrical, HVAC, and Wi-Fi systems will also be upgraded. A flexible multipurpose community room will replace the existing Johnson Auditorium. The project is designed to remove the library's remaining 1960s Brutalist architectural elements.

  • Construction will start in May 2026 on the third floor with HVAC system updates.
  • The Special Collections area will close to the public for about a month starting in June 2026.
  • The roof will be replaced over the summer of 2026.
  • The Summer Street entrance will be enlarged and made handicap accessible.
  • Second-floor construction will begin in September 2026, followed by first-floor work in November 2026.

The players

Haverhill Public Library

A public library that has served the Haverhill, Massachusetts community since 1875.

Olive Reynolds Macdougall

A private donor who left a $14 million bequest to the library, the single largest donation to a library in the Commonwealth from a private donor.

Cecily Craighill Davis

The library's capital campaign director, who is overseeing the fundraising efforts for the $17 million renovation project.

Haverhill Bank

A local bank that recently made a $75,000 grant to the library renovation project.

George C. Wadleigh Foundation

A local foundation that recently made a $75,000 grant to the library renovation project.

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What they’re saying

“The trustees are doing whatever they can to reduce the disruption to the public because they recognize what a vital service the library performs for the community.”

— Cecily Craighill Davis, Library capital campaign director (WHAV)

“There will be the coffee bar idea. Teens can sit there on laptops or a book and do some studying while looking out at Domino's across the street on lovely Main Street. Finally, this will be a nice place where they can concentrate and feels it's theirs.”

— Cecily Craighill Davis, Library capital campaign director (WHAV)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This renovation project will modernize and expand the Haverhill Public Library, creating more light-filled, flexible spaces and a dedicated teen area to better serve the evolving needs of the local community.