CONSTRUCTION
Hampstead Library - Wood Framing & Heavy TimberInstallation

Project Overview

The Hampstead Library is a new public library for Pender County, located beside the Pender County Government Annex along U.S. Highway 17 in Hampstead, North Carolina. At approximately 20,000 square feet, it replaces the existing Hampstead branch and is designed to more than double its capacity for one of the fastest-growing areas in the county.

Sawyer Sherwood and Associates designed the building in collaboration with library planning firm ReThinking Libraries. The project includes a wood-structured library with masonry veneer, interior finishes, flooring, acoustical ceilings, complete plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire sprinkler systems, and associated site improvements.

Essayon joined the project team to perform the wood framing and heavy timber installation, working under general contractor Daniels & Daniels Construction for owner Pender County.

Essayon's Scope

Essayon's team is managing two coordinated scopes on this project:

• Structural wood framing: The full structural wood-framing package for the new library building.
• Heavy timber installation: The installation of heavy timber elements that add to the library's architectural character and welcoming public-facing design.

Our team mobilized on August 3, 2026, and the project remains actively under construction. Our superintendents lead the work with vetted, repeat crew partners, focused on precise structural framing and careful installation of the exposed timber that visitors will see and feel every day.

Heavy timber is visible, so the craftsmanship has to hold up to public view. That is where experienced field leadership matters most.

Why It Matters

A public library is more than a building. It is a place where children learn to read, students study, job seekers find resources, and neighbors gather. As Hampstead grows, this library will give the community more reading areas, more shared space, and more access to technology and services.

Hampstead Library is the kind of project Essayon is proud to build. Our work here supports a major civic investment for Pender County and extends our wood framing experience into the public sector in coastal North Carolina.

For general contractors, this project is another example of Essayon delivering structural framing and architectural heavy timber as one coordinated scope, giving GCs one accountable partner for two critical trades.

Building places. Building people.