Memorial bricks

As you walk into the Main Branch of Boyd County Public Library, on Central Avenue, take a look down.

Many people walk inside the library and don’t notice the more than 400 engraved bricks covering the sidewalk, with names of individuals, families, schools, and clubs.

But take a minute and read some of them. Many are in memory of loved ones who have gone. Some are to commemorate a high school graduation class or favorite teacher. And others are simply to acknowledge someone with a love of libraries and reading.

There are bricks for children, probably purchased by parents who spent many hours taking their little ones to the library.

There are bricks that mention local businesses or civic groups. There are a few with well-known names, like country music singer and author Naomi Judd.

And there are some that simply state a message of love, like the one that reads, “To my love, Dr. Bob Crider. Always, Linda”

There are also some with inscriptions that are hard to figure out. Like, “PBW & ATW from DBW & CMW.” But it certainly means something to the persons those initials represent.

Bricks can be engraved to recognize a milestone in someone’s life. Like the one dated May 20, 2004, that reads “Ellen Sharp is 50 today.” Or, they can contain a general message that you would like seen by everyone who enters the library or takes a walk around Central Park. That is what a woman named Tindara did on her brick that reads “Live to Learn, Learn to Live.”

The choice is yours. Want to remember your favorite dog? Acknowledge a special achievement? A BCPL memorial brick is a great way to create a lasting legacy.

Bricks cost $50, and have three lines with a total of 13 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation.

Brick order forms are available at any branch. Return them, along with your payment (checks should be payable to Boyd County Public Library), to: BCPL, 1740 Central Ave., Ashland, KY 41101. You can also download a form by clicking here.

Proceeds from all brick sales are used to support library special projects.

About Amanda Gilmore

Amanda Gilmore is the community relations coordinator for BCPL. She spent 20 years in the newspaper business, and is thrilled to be on the other side - telling our community about all the wonderful library programs and services.