Gardens & Grounds
Our thanks to the dedicated volunteers who keep the library grounds beautiful year-round.
In 2018, the Lawrence Library opened a spur trail to the Greens Brook Trail behind the library. The only one of its kind at a Massachusetts public library, the trail is accessible to people with motor and visual impairments. The trail also features a native plant garden. This project was made possible by the Nashoba Conservation Trust, and the Friends of the Library.
Also in 2018, the library was named a Literary Landmark by the American Library Association's United for Libraries –one of only seven in Massachusetts– in honor of children's author and illustrator Barbara Cooney, who lived in Pepperell for many years. The Lawrence Library was featured prominently in her book Miss Rumphius.
In 2021, the Pocket Pollinator & Monarch Waystation Garden was added. The 25 species of plants in our pocket garden are all "pollinator magnets," providing a range of color throughout the growing season. The Monarch Waystation provides the resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Our thanks to the Invasive and Native Plant Advisory Committee for working with the Friends of the Lawrence Library Gardeners to make this happen!
Dedicated in 2008, the Mahony Garden celebrates the memory of Amos Mahony (1917-2013) and his wife, Pauline (1917-2007). Amos and Pauline were both longtime Pepperell residents and community leaders. Amos joined the Lawrence Library Board of Trustees in 1953, and for the next sixty years, he remained a steadfast library supporter, guardian, and visionary. He was the longest-serving library trustee in the state of Massachusetts. Pauline was a founder of the Pepperell Garden Club, served as chairwoman of the Pepperell Woman's Club, and was a teacher in the North Middlesex School District. The Mahony Garden is situated directly behind the library building.
