Behind the construction fence on Carroll Place, crews are digging out the ground under Noyes Library for Young Children. They are getting ready to lift the whole building so they can work underneath it. Montgomery County Public Libraries posted that update on October 16, 2026. In it, the library system said much of the current progress is "out of sight—underground," as workers excavate and prepare for the lift.

The building opened in 1893, and Montgomery County Public Libraries describes it as the oldest library building in the D.C. area. More than once, it has come close to closing because it was too small and too old for what families needed from it. This renovation takes on that problem directly. The building will gain a finished basement below it and a finished second floor in what is now the attic, and the money comes partly from a foundation that Kensington neighbors started to keep the library open.

Four Months From Empty Shelves to a Hole in the Ground

Noyes closed on May 21, 2026. The groundbreaking happened two Saturdays earlier, on May 9, with County Executive Marc Elrich, Councilmember Kate Stewart and Kensington Mayor Tracey Furman attending. The county's renovation log has tracked the work since then.

1. June 16: The building was cleared front to back, with all furniture, equipment and materials removed.
2. July 10: Crews gutted the interior to update building systems, improve the layout and make the building more energy efficient.
3. August 21: With much of the interior taken apart, the building's framework was exposed.
4. September 14: Crews removed the ADA ramp at the front of the library. That is the first step toward building the basement.
5. October 16: Excavation was underway beneath the building to prepare for the lift.

The ramp coming out in September matters more than it looks. It was the building's existing accessibility feature. Crews took it out because the renovation will make the whole building accessible from the inside, with an elevator connecting the floors.

What the Building Gains

The county's Department of General Services lists the full scope on its project page.

• A finished basement where there was none
• The attic turned into a finished second floor
• A renovated first floor
• An elevator
• ADA-compliant restrooms
• Upgrades to the site

Bethesda Today reported in May how the new space will be divided. The basement becomes classroom and program space, the attic holds staff space, and the first floor gets two ADA bathrooms. Montgomery Community Media gave a similar summary, listing the basement program room, staff space, elevator and accessibility upgrades.

Grimm + Parker is the architect and engineer. Before construction could begin, the project needed a Historic Area Work Permit from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission, which approved it. Moving staff upstairs and programs downstairs frees the original first floor for children and families. Without a building that can be expanded, that kind of room isn't available.

Why Space Has Been the Problem All Along

Noyes first opened to the public on January 10, 1893, as a library built for Kensington. The library's history page and the Noyes Children's Library Foundation describe what happened over the next century.

• 1951: Noyes joined the county library system, and its collection was merged with other branches.
• Late 1960s: The building closed.
• 1972: It reopened with a new mission of serving children only.
• Early 1990s: Budget cuts put the library at risk of closing again. Neighbors formed a foundation in response.

The 1972 reopening gave the old building a focused role, and it is still the only county library dedicated to children from birth to age 8 and their families. The building itself stayed small and kept its 1893 footprint. Each time Noyes faced closure, the county was looking at a building that was expensive to keep up and limited in what it could hold. The current project addresses that limit instead of keeping things going as they were.

Who Is Paying

According to the county's FY27 approved capital budget, the project's total expenditures are $8.402 million. The capital budget document breaks down where the money goes and where it comes from.

The site work and utilities line is larger than the construction line. For a project that involves lifting a historic building and digging beneath it, that order is not surprising. The same document shows that the previous year's estimate was $7.702 million.

The $2.475 million in contributions shows how much the community put in. The Department of General Services describes the project as jointly funded by Montgomery County and the Noyes Children's Library Foundation. The Foundation is all volunteer and dates to the 1991 closure threat. It says it completed its Make MORE Noyes campaign for accessibility, more space and early-literacy services.

Smaller contributions have continued to come in. The Town of Kensington's September 2026 newsletter reported a $25,000 town contribution to the Foundation for the renovation in FY26. The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage tour on June 7 raised money for the campaign. The same newsletter puts the total at more than $32,000 and says more fundraising is needed to cover a projected shortfall, along with furnishings and equipment. The town also thanked the Foundation publicly. Its board members served as grand marshals of Kensington's Labor Day Parade on September 7, according to the Foundation's events page.

Where Noyes Programs Meet Until Fall 2027

The county estimates the project will be finished in fall 2027. Earlier reports in the spring gave shorter timelines, but the fall 2027 date is the one on the county's project page now.

In the meantime, Noyes's children's collection and events have moved to Kensington Park Library at 4201 Knowles Avenue. Families can return Noyes items there or at any other county branch. The fall schedule there includes regular storytimes and some programs that still carry the Noyes name.

• Baby Storytime, Mondays, 10:30 to 11 a.m.: A 20- to 30-minute lap-based program for babies from birth until they start walking, with caregivers taking part.
• Family Storytime, Wednesdays, 10:30 to 11 a.m.
• Superb Saturday STEAM: Salty Glue Art, Saturday, November 7, 11 to 11:30 a.m.: Listed as a Noyes Library event held at Kensington Park.

Because schedules change from week to week, the Kensington Park events calendar for young children has the current listings. Meanwhile, the county's renovation log is the place to follow the next big step, when the 1893 building is raised off the ground. For other ideas on spending a morning in town while Noyes is closed, our guide to a day in Kensington covers the parks and shops near Howard Avenue.

At Dana Rice Group, we pay close attention to what makes our neighborhoods work day to day, and in Kensington a 133-year-old children's library is part of that. If you're thinking about your own home's next chapter, request a complimentary market plan and staging consultation, and we'll show you how the town's details shape your home's value.