The library’s construction started in 1950, and it opened in 1951. It was donated to the people of Boca Grande by Louise and Roger Amory. The architect was Henry Richardson Shepley, and the builders were the Griffin Brothers.
The library’s buildings boast many architectural features, but the most remarkable is perhaps the original Bermuda roof. This roof design channels rainwater to a cistern, which then irrigates the gardens.
The library’s massive cypress entrance doors and original exposed cypress beams throughout are awe-inspiring reminders of the passion and attention to detail the founders brought to their project over seventy-five years ago. Visitors can wander through the garden and courtyard as they explore the excellent library services Lee County offers and enjoy respite from the midday sun in the shady loggia area.
Entry Steps and Doors
The first image at the entrance to the library shows a breathtaking view of the formal gardens, framed by the entrance doors. The entry steps and foyer walls are made from keystone coral mined from the waters off the coast of Saint Augustine, Florida. During the 2012-2013 renovation, repairs used material from the same coral mines as those in the original 1950 building. The entry doors, crafted by a local master carpenter in 1950, were inspired by the doors of the Hagia Sophia Church in Istanbul. The exposed ceiling beams and entry doors are both made of cypress treated with a lime wash—a historic process that protects, preserves, and beautifies the wood.
Foyer Entry Hall
The hand-carved wooden Japanese panels displayed on the eastern wall are from Roger Amory’s collection. For sixty years, they were mounted on the doors to the main book room. Thought to have been made in the nineteenth century, the doors are based on traditional eighteenth-century Japanese decorative door panels designed to conceal storage areas in temples. Rustin Levenson, of Art Conservation Associates of Miami and New York, restored the doors to their original 1950s grandeur. The restoration project was funded in part by a generous grant from the Boca Grande Woman’s Club.
