Osborne Center For Social Justice
1 Fitch Avenue
c/o 163 North Street
Auburn, NY 13021
office
Architecture
Constructed separately from the original Osborne-Wright Family mansion, a passageway had joined the two structures. The First United Methodist Church of Auburn now stands in place of the mansion; the library remains on the church's property. Thomas Mott Osborne commissioned a significant Boston architect to spare few expenses designing a place of study and thought, of deep conversation, and of music performance and appreciation, and to store a book collection that then rivaled public libraries.
The architect was the noted Julius Schweinfurth (1858-1931), another Auburn native. The Osborne Library was one of his masterpieces. Restored, the Osborne Library will be used. in part, in its intended spirit as a place for study and exquisite music.
The Osborne Library's lower level will house museum and research materials and be an educational center devoted to the Osborne-Wright and their extended family's contribution to the area and the world, for children and adults both.
Project Benefits
The public will benefit from the proposed use of the Osborne Library in several ways:
Building Condition
The Osborne Library lacks proper roof drainage. Water infiltration has caused conservation problems for bricks and mortar near the drains, gutters, and roofline. A lack of proper soil grading near the building's foundation has worsened deterioration there. Cracks are visible on the west façade and chimney of the main building.
The building's interior has suffered moisture penetration and insufficient ventilation. Paint and plaster layers are cracking and peeling throughout. Several windowpanes and sashes are broken or damaged.
There is standing water under the southern portion of the ceiling, where several sections of plaster have eroded entirely. Substantial amounts of water have also permeated the basement via the soil and leaks from the upper story. The building cannot sustain its battle against the elements much longer.
Copyright 2012 Osborne Center For Social Justice. All rights reserved.
Osborne Center For Social Justice
1 Fitch Avenue
c/o 163 North Street
Auburn, NY 13021
office