By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Greenfield, MA) The Leavitt-Howey House, the current Greenfield Public Library building, will not be demolished and will remain under city ownership. It was designed and built by Asher Benjamin and built in 1797 for Judge Jonathon Leavitt and became the home of the city’s library in 1907. Greenfield Historical Commission Chair John Passiglia said that its “historical place in the development of our city is of key importance.”
Passiglia also noted the building’s deficiencies and said that “[w]hile complete restoration might be an expense that the city cannot contemplate at the this time, we believe it offers terrific potential for continued use by city functions.” What exactly the building will be used for is unknown at this time, but a historic museum may be an option.