CORNISH — The historic Stowell Library, which many residents hope to see remain in use as a library, could be getting a well and septic system.

In a brief 15-minute meeting Monday, Selectboard members Jason Bourne and Dillon Gallagher announced the town would advertise the projects on its website and also contact a number of area businesses that install wells and septic systems to solicit bids. (Board member John Hammond was absent.)

Alicia Simino, member of the group Save the Stowell said the decision by the Selectboard and library trustees is a good step forward for the 110-year-old library. The group opposes relocating the library to a former general store, a move townspeople approved by ballot vote at Town Meeting in 2023.

“We still have people who believe in historic preservation,” Simino said. “A lot of people in town want to see the library fixed.”

Cornish is home to many historic buildings, Simino said, and the Stowell is the “finest one.”

“Our money crop is the beauty of Cornish and our historic buildings,” Simino said. “We have to hold onto our heritage.”

The lack of indoor plumbing and handicap accessibility at Stowell were primary reasons a slim majority of voters approved accepting a donation of the former Cornish General Store to be converted into a library and community center. The existing library and store are within a short distance of each other on Route 120.

The 2023 Town Meeting article requires that $2.4 million for renovations be raised within fi ve years with no financial obligation from the town.

The Cornish Community Initiative, a nonprofit leading the effort to convert the store to a library, has a combined $1.13 million in gifts and pledges, Colleen O’Neill, who donated the former store to the town, said in an email on Tuesday.

The Selectboard’s decision Monday came about two weeks after the Library Trustees and the board met in a joint meeting.

At that June 18 meeting, the trustees voted 2-1 to work with the Selectboard on getting quotes using Local Resource Recovery Funds, a COVID relief program. Trustees Kathi Patterson and Marie De Rusha voted yes and Laura Cousineau was opposed. Cousineau was not at Monday’s meeting.

The town has between $80,000 and $90,000 remaining of its recovery funds, according to the minutes of the June 18 meeting. In order to use the money, the town will need a signed contract by Dec. 31 and then need to spend the money by the end of 2026.

Patterson said she compiled a list of areas businesses that do this type of work and are certified by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The septic design is not finished, so the Selectboard voted to set a deadline to receive quotes two weeks after it receives the completed design.

At Town Meeting in 2022, voters approved spending $7,200 to purchase a small lot that would be annexed to the library, Simino noted. The money came from donations received by the trustees except for $700, which was from the town’s unassigned fund balance. Though the intended use of the land was not included in the motion, the Town Meeting minutes state that Selectboard member Lyle Parry said, “the land would be used for a septic system and well.”

Community members have not figured out how best to address the accessibility issue at the old library yet. A ramp on the front of the building is not considered an option because of the height of the steps to the entrance, Simino said on Tuesday. One option might be to link the library to the small town building next door to create a more accessible entrance. The town has applied for National Historic Register status for the Stowell, which would make it elgible for federal and state preservation grants, Simino said.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.