As workers sifted through the blackened Georgetown public library Tuesday, many residents worried what could be saved of the area’s history.
Private contractors packed paintings, statues and ceramic bowls in clear bubble-wrap. They placed papers, books and manuscripts in a giant refrigerator to prevent mold from growing on the water-logged pieces.
“They were very positive about what they found,” D.C. Library spokeswoman Monica Lewis said. “Based on the fiery flames we saw (Monday), who would have imagined?”
Washington fire officials still had not determined the cause of the fire that ripped through the old building that housed pieces of Georgetown’s past.
The workers likely will recover about 90 percent of the items housed in the historical collection of the building, Lewis said, although it’s unclear how much of those items can be saved.
Library officials estimated the repairs could cost between $15 million and $20 million.
The library housed historic documents and paintings such as a rare map of Civil War fortifications and slave portraits that have twice been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution.
It also held thousands of files containing 200 years of historical information, newspaper clippings and photographs for every home and building in Georgetown.
The fire saddened Georgetown resident Craig Davitian, who used the library to research the history of his home nearby.
“It was everything Georgetown,” he said.
