The first phase of exterior renovations on the Old Thayer Public Library next to Town Hall will be complete later this month, with two more phases to follow that will set up the 138-year-old building to be used as a community meeting place.

Earlier this week, Mayor Joseph Sullivan toured the ongoing construction, which includes replacement of the roof, copper gutters and downspouts and exterior brick and masonry re-pointing.

Additional outside phases will include doors and windows and a small addition, likely in the rear of the building, to allow for handicapp access, Planning Director Christine Stickney said.

The first phase was slated to cost $315,000, which comes from a combination of Braintree's Community Preservation Act, administered by the Community Preservation Committee and Town Council, along with the state commission. Sullivan said necessary additional repairs were discovered during construction and the town will look to use CPA money for those.

The library served as Braintree's public library until 1953 when a new facility was built across the street and the water and sewer department moved in. In 1978, the building was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the federal government on its educational, social and architectural merits.