Our church, Saint Clement’s Episcopal in Saint Paul, MN, wanted a Little Free Library. Our sanctuary building was designed by Cass Gilbert, a prominent architecht whos later commissions include the Minnesota State Capital, the US Supreme Court, and the Woolworth Building. I was asked to tackle the project, and I thought our special building deserved a special LFL. I drew inspiration from the entrance to the transept, and from the lych gate (pictured). The project was really more of a miniature carpentry project than a wood working project. I did two things that, I think, help bring the project together. I used a veining bit to create a bead board look on some exterior grade A-C plywood, and I used 3/16” aluminum for the rakeboard ‘ginger bread’ trim. I tried to do more intricate work to more closely mimic the tracery work on the transept entrance, but once I realized that it would take 100 scroll saw blades and all my patience, or an investment in having them plasma or laser cut, I switched to this pattern, which I think evokes the shapes in the chuch trim. The gothic arch details on the doors are also aluminum.
I am pleased with the result, and hope that lots of books pass through its doors :)