Significant Work to be Done This Week at Church Site

This information was published in the  restoration news center on March 6, 2012:

By the end of this week there should be plenty to see in terms of change at the Meeting House site.   The asbestos abatement in the Bugbee Center and office area was completed over the weekend, the testing was done and approval was given by the state for us to re-occupy the facility.  The completion of the asbestos removal means that we will have access to both floors of the Bugbee Center and office area and work can begin to get these areas into shape.   Work to be done includes replacing insulation and sheet rock where it was removed due to water damage, painting all walls and ceilings, cleaning carpets on the second floor of Bugbee and replacing all carpet on the first floor, installing tile on the first floor of Bugbee and refinishing some hardwood floors on the second floor.  Cabinets and counter tops will be replaced in all rooms and a new stove and refrigerator will be put in the Bugbee kitchen.

On Wednesday work will begin on the demolition of the rubble where the Meeting House stood.  Heavy equipment will be on the site.  The demolition process will take about two weeks.  The demolition site remains hazardous and access to it is not permitted.  Members of the Artifacts Committee have spoken with those who will carry out the demolition and given them a “heads-up” about some significant material that may be found in the rubble.  We are particularly interested in the brass and marble plaques that were on walls in the sanctuary, narthex and foundation room, as well as any significant piece of stained glass.  The folks doing the demolition have been very open to helping locate whatever might be found.

The Building Committee continues to meet with the architects from CHK.  At present they are compiling an overview of how the rooms in the Meeting House were used and for what, and ways the space might be better utilized in the future.  The Committee is very sensitive to the fact that people would like to have things rebuilt as they were, but is also aware that there will be necessary changes due to the need to meet current safety and occupancy codes.   There will be some changes that will help us make more efficient use of the space and others that will reduce our operating costs. 

All of the ideas that members of the church have submitted through the survey are being compiled and will be shared with the architects next week.  Although I have not looked at them all, I have noted that there are many that are similar, with ideas about make the building safer and more convenient.  All those ideas are most welcome.

REMEMBER Rich Kaiser and Hugh Schweitzer from CHK will be meeting with members of the church following worship on March 18, in the auditorium at the Community Education Center at JMMC.  This will be a great time to hear about the approach CHK is taking with our project, and to be involved in sharing ideas about the project.

Please note that the supper to have been served by the Enfield Congregational Church this month has been cancelled and the Jolly Beggars concert has also been cancelled.  Our friends at Blair Manor will be putting on a pasta supper on March 31 to contribute to our building fund.  The United Church of Christ in Lebanon, Connecticut hosted a pancake breakfast last weekend as a benefit for us.

We are still collecting photographs of the building and events that took place there, so if you have not yet contributed any, please do so.  You can send them to us electronically at photos@somerscongregational.org, or bring hard copies to church or to the office and we can scan them and return your hard copies.