The building thus built, adorned and furnished by many generous friends of the town is free for the use and benefit of the people of the town of Henniker and will be free to them and their children forever. May we all live long to enjoy it together.(1)

Bids were to be collected for simply building the library. The grading, heating, plumbing, and electric were not part of the original bid. When the bids were received it was found that the construction costs were too high so the project was scaled back. Original minutes of the building committee list the following changes to the design: Pressed brick was changed to common brick ($500), not concreting basement ($150), engraving on front porch limited ($50), stone steps from basement to sub-basement ($10), leaving out skylights ($100), making brick walls of the stockroom 8” instead of 12” ($100), and leaving out 2 iron girders in 2nd story ($30). These changes were submitted to the two lowest bidders, which resulted in awarding the contract to the Nashua Granite Co. of Nashua, NH.

Nashua Granite Co. final bill was for $13,439.93. The total cost of the project, including furnishings was $16,446.57. The trustees also acknowledged that Mr. Emerson came to the rescue of the town once again, when the final bills came in and the construction costs exceeded the $14,000 limit set by the will of George Tucker, Henry A. Emerson gave $2500 to make up the difference as well as to pay for its furnishings. “Mr. Emerson has so generously come to the rescue, and made it possible to give to the citizens of the town, not only a building, but the furnishings of which will compare favorably with that of any town in the state, even though they may be more pretentious than Henniker.” (2) It was reported that many others gave gifts to adorn the library including a beautiful library clock from Willis Howe; of portraits of former residents and patrons of the library; of chairs from the lodge of the Rathbone Sisters, as well as many new additions to the collection.

(Source: (1)Report of the Building Committee of the Tucker Free Library, Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenditures of the Town of Henniker, Comprising the Reports of Selectmen, Treasurer, Collector, Road Agents, Auditors, School Board, Board of Health, Town Clerk, and Library Committee, for the Financial Year Ending February 15, 1905, pg. 52-53. (2) Annual Report of the receipts and expenditures of the Town of Henniker for the Financial Year Ending February 15, 1905. Report of Treasurer of Tucker Free Library, Pg. 54.)