The story of the transformation of the Academy Building into the Provo Library at Academy Square is likely as interesting as any of the books the new library will hold.
The epic project, costing nearly $23 million, was completed a few weeks ago, and President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will dedicate the building Saturday Sept. 8 at 10:30 a.m. The library opened for business Thursday.
Saturday's grand opening will feature local and state officials, along with religious leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ, said Gene Nelson, director of the Provo Library.
"We've invited some of the upper administration of the church to join us," Nelson said.
But bringing a building from the shadow of the wrecking ball to a breathtaking re-creation of one of the region's historic treasures has not been an easy task.
The History
Opened in 1892, the original Brigham Young Academy building became the heart of the fledgling school, renamed Brigham Young University in 1903, according to a timeline provided by Terry Ann Harward, Provo library executive assistant.
The critical role of Academy Square, which included the academy and other school buildings, began to diminish when the university dedicated University Hill as the site of the "University of Zion" in 1908, according to the timeline.
The building continued to house classes in chemistry, geology and art, and it boasted a library, high school classes and dorm facilities, said Lee Bartlett, president of Brigham Young Academy Foundation (BYAF).
In 1968, the Academy Building finally closed its doors, beginning more than three decades of neglect and abuse.
The Bond
City leaders and various owners struggled to find a purpose for the square and its buildings, even considering tearing them down to make way for a commercial development, Bartlett said.
Then the Utah Heritage Foundation stepped in and successfully shielded the square from demolition.
That set off a bitter series of lawsuits between Provo city officials and the Utah Heritage Foundation as the city sought to develop the land.
By the late 1990s, Provo had outgrown its library and was struggling to find more space, Harward said.
Doug Smoot, a member of BYAF, proposed a feasibility study to be conducted on the square to see if a library could be housed there, Bartlett said.
The findings of the study indicated the library could be placed there, but city officials did not want to try to put a modern, high-tech library in decrepit buildings.
The breakthrough came, Harward said, when the Utah Heritage Foundation agreed to allow the other buildings on Academy Square to be demolished to make room for a new addition that would be connected to the renovated Academy Building.
City officials agreed, but said BYAF would have to raise the $6 to 7 million difference between the $16 million bond and the proposed $23 million cost of the library at Academy Square, Bartlett said.
BYAF did just that, receiving key $1 million donations from the Church of Jesus Christ's charitable foundation and the Eccles Foundation, Bartlett said.
"Securing those two was critical because it lent credibility to the Academy Foundation's belief that we could in fact raise the money," Bartlett said.
A vigorous campaign to promote the library bond was launched in the face of vocal opposition, but was ultimately approved by voters.
The birthplace of BYU and the former heart of a community had received a new lease on life.
The Talent
The transformation of the Academy Building has required the talents of some of the nation's most respected artisans and artists.
Woodwork on the 19th century building has been recreated by BDL Mills, whose next project is the Church of Jesus Christ's Nauvoo Temple, said mill manager John Norman.
Woodworkers for the company imitated the moldings and hand-carved rosettes that are indicative of the high-end nature of the building, Norman said.
A stained glass window entitled "Passages of Light" was designed by Mac Magleby, creative director for BYU's University Press. Magleby is also designing posters for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The piece is a metaphor using glass and light to depict a view of Utah Lake at sunset, with a woman on the shore reading a book whose pages turn into a flying dove, Magleby said.
"As the person reads passages in the book, the light of truth and knowledge is opened up and can take flight," Magleby said.
Another stained glass window will be brought home to the building after spending years in a garage in California, Harward said.
After seeing vandals breaking the windows in the building, two men stole up to the second floor of the building late one night to save the window. After a little convincing, the window has been returned and minor repairs have restored it to its original condition, Harward said.
More artwork will adorn the children's section of the library where a sculpture called "Timeout Boy," by Gary Price, will be located.
Price's talent won him an Award of Merit at a Church of Jesus Christ art competition last year for a piece depicting the story of Lehi and the Tree of Life, said Marvin Nelson, assistant business manager of Price's studio.
The library's grand opening Saturday will showcase even more artwork through a collection of pieces that will highlight Utah Valley's nationally-respected artists -- among them eight BYU graduates, said Todd Stilson, exhibit organizer and one of its featured artists.
The new library will have a permanent art gallery -- a natural fit, Stilson said, for the building that used to house the art department of Brigham Young Academy.
Other artists contributing to the exhibit include Wulf Barsch, Kristen Payson, William Whittaker, Wayne Kimball, Bruce Brainard, Laura Lee Stay Bradshaw and Ron Richmond, Stilson said.
Classroom D, former home of a library, dinosaur museum and women's dorms is representative of the revolution that has taken place in the Academy Building, Harward said.
Now, it's a 54-by-80-foot ballroom. For the Provo City Library at Academy Square, it seems the dancing will continue for years to come.
Copyright Brigham Young University 6 Sep 2001
