Bell Not Only Thing Going on at Somers Congregational Church

This information was published in the Somers Congregational Church restoration news center on May 2, 2013:

Rev. Dr. Barry Cass

We passed a huge and very public milestone as the Bell was hoisted into the steeple yesterday.  The Artifacts Committee worked very hard to prepare for the event and it came off without a hitch.  The people from Petra Construction, QSR Steel, Avery Construction and the Verdin Bell Company all came through, kept things on schedule and made it possible for us to have a flawless celebration.  I have heard estimates of 500 and more people lining the street to watch this historic event.  The building of the Meeting House certainly became “real” yesterday afternoon!

The raising of the bell is not the only thing that has been going on at the Meeting House site this week.  A couple of days ago when I stepped out of the Rockville Bank and looked toward the Meeting House I was amazed at the number of workers who could be seen scattered all over the structure.  There will be more work completed on the steeple and the bell will be enclosed keeping it out of the weather as everything else continues.

The framers have been working to install studs inside and outside the building to which will eventually be attached the sheathing and exterior finished walls and sheetrock on the interior.  The roof will also be covered with wood and then shingles.  When you look at the walls of the Meeting House now you can see where the windows will be.   On the interior the various rooms are being marked out as the studs are put in place.

There have been masons working this week too.  On the east side of the building you can see the elevator shaft rising.  It is made of concrete blocks and located in the new stair tower in the northeast corner of the Meeting House structure.  On the west side of the building stone work is being done.  Stones have been brought from Skyline Quarry in Stafford and the veneer of the foundation is being put in place.  You can catch a glimpse of this from the bank parking lot.  In only a couple of days the same work will be done on the east side of the building and you will be able to see it better from the road and parking lot.

The area where the wall was removed from the Memorial Garden has been inspected and is ready for the new wall and stairway to be built.  The stairs that have previously been located in the southeast corner of the garden will be built to line up with the walkway on the south side of the garden.  The wall will be rebuilt on either side of the stairway.  Once the work is completed the garden will look as good as ever!  This work is scheduled for later in the spring or in early summer.

The Building Committee still has a few minor decorating decisions to be made.  Working with the pew builder they will be deciding how the bottom of the pews will be finished.  Under the seats the kickboard will not go all the way to the floor.  The ends of the pews on the aisles could be painted white, or there could be a kickboard there which would be stained to match the other wood in the sanctuary.  The final design of the chancel furniture will be selected in the next week or so and the design for the pulpit chosen.  All of the furniture in the chancel will be moveable, allowing for flexibility.

The Capital Campaign Committee is hard at work securing the necessary funds to complete the project.  You have probably heard from them and will be hearing more.  Members of the church are invited to make financial commitments to the project over two years.  Friends of the church are invited to contribute through our website (www.somerscongregational.org ) or by sending contributions to the church (PO Box 295, Somers CT 06071). 

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