MILTON-FREEWATER – The new Milton-Freewater Library officially opened its doors Monday after the corner stone was set in a ceremony conducted by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon.

After measuring the stone with the traditional tools of the lodge – a square, a level and a plumb – Grand Master Lawrence O. Weaver of Oregon City pronounced the corner stone “well found and true.”

A time capsule was placed behind the corner stone containing items like photographs of the old Carnegie library, the current library staff and ground-breaking ceremony as well as a Muddy Frogwater Festival pin, souvenir bookmark, ceramic mug and the current library budget.

“Grant that ages upon ages pass before it is yet again seen,” Weaver said.

The Masons also anointed the corner stone with corn for nourishment, wine for refreshment and oil for happiness.

Library Director Robert Jones said he was relieved to finally have the new building open.

“There were points on the way that we weren’t sure how it was going to get done,” he said.

The new building is about three times larger than the old Carnegie library building, which was constructed in 1918, he said. New features include a genealogy and local history room, space, computer technology and meeting rooms.

Marguerite McElroy, a Milton-Freewater native who will be volunteering in the genealogy room, said she thought the new building was wonderful.

“We’ve needed it for a very long time,” she said. “I like especially that we are going to have a genealogy department.”

Bonnie Dudgeon and Jennifer Dudgeon of Milton-Freewater agreed the space in the new building was a welcome addition.

They had both volunteered in the old library and planned on continuing to do so. “It was fun to be a part of it all,” Bonnie said.

“They really put it together very well,” Jennifer said. There was plenty of room for things like the summer reading program. The old one was so small.”

The new size would mean more programs for the children, she said.

Marie Vancil, who was already busy checking out books and magazines to people, said all the space is what she liked best, especially the new staff work room.

“We’ve never had any place to work before,” she said.

The building did a good job of tying in with the old city hall architecture and was a good addition to the city, Mayor Lewis Key said.

Although the doors are open and the books shelved, it might be six months until the staff is completely settled in, Jones said. The library is also still looking for volunteers to help with programs, especially in the genealogy department.

The cornerstone ceremony performed by the Masons was the same ceremony performed by President George Washington for the U.S. Capitol building, Weaver said.