Feb. 24—A Frederick marketing company has purchased the former site of the city's library to use as its new offices.

Postern recently bought the former C. Burr Artz library building at 116 Record Street in Frederick for $2,128,000, and will move from its location in Frederick's Everedy Square.

The company is growing, and needed more space after 18 years in Everedy Square, Postern owner Emily Dorr said in an interview Friday.

They currently have 12 employees and are preparing to add two more in early March, and are still looking to fill one more spot, Dorr said.

The growth meant a move from their location on East Street, with about 1,900 square feet, to the Record Street location near Frederick's City Hall.

Postern will use about 4,300 square feet of the building, which also contains a counseling office and a residential apartment, Dorr said.

It's always good when a growing company is able to stay in Frederick, said Richard Griffin, the city's director of economic development.

The city depends on having companies like Postern downtown, where their employees buy lunch or dinner, shop at local stores, and meet up with friends after work, he said.

While the cost of renovating and maintaining older, historic buildings can be higher than newer ones, buildings like the one on Record Street also offer lots of great features, Griffin said.

"It's a really unique building," he said.

A Frederick County native, Dorr said she's always had an affinity for old homes and buildings, and the Record Street building has always stood out as a significant building in the city.

The building was built on the site of the Frederick Academy, which was built in the 1790s and was razed to put up the current building, according to records filed with the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1982.

The building is a good example of the colonial revival architectural style, according to the records.

It served as the county's library from 1938 until 1982, when the C. Burr Artz Public Library moved to its current location at 110 E. Patrick Street, said Mary Mannix, librarian and manager of the Frederick County Public Libraries Maryland Room.

A renovated and expanded building, including the library and the Frederick County Public Libraries administrative offices, was opened in May 2002.