Community Corner

Somers Congregational Church Bell to be Hoisted Soon

According to the Somers Congregational Church Web site, the hoisting will take place on May 1 at 4 p.m.

This information was published in the Somers Congregational Church restoration news center on April 17, 2013:

Rev. Dr. Barry Cass

The bell hoisting will be on May 1 at 4 P.M.  This will be a wonderful celebration for the whole community.  Our Artifacts Committee is making plans so more details will follow at a later date, but there are a few things that are sure.  There will be a brief dedication service with some comments and music.  There will be a cordoned off area for spectators to view the crane hoisting the bell.  There will be refreshments.  Mark your calendar.

This is one of the non-meeting weeks for the Building Committee, but there is still plenty going on around the Meeting House site. The steel is still being put in place and driving by you can see the roof line and the eaves.  By the end of this week the decks for the second and third floors should have been poured.  There is far more steel in place now than there is to put in place!

Our stone mason has put up a couple of examples of how the cut stone will look on the foundation.  I think I have mentioned before that the stone will come from Skyline Quarry in Stafford Springs.  In papers regarding the building of the 1842 Meeting House there is mention of the stone coming from the mountain – about as local as we can get.  We are trying to keep this tradition with our materials as well.

The Building Committee has put a lot of consideration into the design of the new Foundation Room.  The dimensions will be about the same as the previous dining room, but there are some notable improvements.  The ceiling will be nearly a foot higher.  The hallway from the office to the dining room now will run along the east outside wall of the building, so it will be wider and lighter.  There will be a slight ramp because the dining room floor is seven inches lower than the office, but the slope should be hardly noticeable.  The hallway will lead directly into the dining room and there will be no “pantry” between the kitchen and dining room.  Extra storage has been planned into the kitchen and one wall of the Foundation Room to make up for what we will lose from the pantry.  One new feature in the dining room will be a fairly large island that will have space for coffee hour storage.  It will also have electrical connections so coffee can be made on the island and simply removed for larger dinners or other events.

It is rather difficult to describe, but the window in the Foundation Room will be different as well.  They will provide more light and a view of the outside the former windows did not.  On the south end of the room, opposite the kitchen, there will be an exit on the west (bank) side.  This will also be the location of the stairway to the second and third floor.  This stairway will meet code.  In the southeast corner of the dining room there will be a large closet that will provide storage for some outside groups, and will be large enough to be used as a “bride’s room” as well.  There will be a vanity with mirror and a place for a bride and her attendants to wait before the ceremony.  There will also be an audio and perhaps video feed to the bride’s room so the wedding party will know where they are in their waiting.

Please remember that the area inside the fence is a restricted area.  No one is allowed inside that area without a hardhat and someone from Petra accompanying them.


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