Back to news page Library fund drive kicks off with tour by political leaders BY SONJA BROBECK Staff Writer The Chartiers Valley Partnership kicked off its efforts to raise $5 million to finance critically needed repairs and renovations to Carnegie's Andrew Carnegie Free Library last week. The partnership sponsored U. S. Sen. Rick Santorum in a tour of the historic library. The tour was arranged to make the senator aware of the building's condition and solicit his suggestions for accessing potential funding programs. On the tour, Santorum visited the building's Civil War Room, which houses an extensive and very valuable collection of artifacts and war memorabilia, the music hall, the library and other areas of the building. Structural deterioration has caused extensive damage to many parts of the almost 100-year-old building. The library has remained physically untouched with the exception of a new roof and interior renovations completed in the music hall over the years. A total of $5 million is needed for major rehabilitation work to ensure the building can be occupied in a safe manner. "The historical landmark would once again be utilized for what it was intended, that being a building to be enjoyed and maintained by the people of Carnegie," reads the program distributed during Santorum's tour. "Should the building continue in its present state, the task to renovate and rehabilitate would be almost impossible, as it is the task is monumental." Besides obvious safety issues, the state Historical and Museum Commission has voiced serious concerns about the preservation of the Civil War Room collection, which includes irreplaceable maps, flags, reports and other artifacts, if repairs are not undertaken soon. Accompanying Santorum on the tour were County Commissioner Larry Dunn, representatives of Sen. Tim Murphy and Rep. John Pippy, Mayor Bob Heinrich, other elected officials and representatives of the Chartiers Valley Partnership's member organizations. The Chartiers Valley Partnership includes the Carnegie Area Revitalization Effort, Chartiers Valley Community Development, Inc., Andrew Carnegie Free Library, Historical Society of Carnegie, Carnegie Borough Council, Chartiers Valley Arts Council and the 9th Pennsylvania Reserve a Civil War reenactment group.