This information was published in the Somers Congregational Church restoration news center on Oct. 9, 2012:
Rev. Dr. Barry Cass
Work progresses! The telephone equipment has been moved into the control room, the temporary furnace is in and we should have heat in the office wing tomorrow. Painting is done on the first floor and well underway on the second. Flooring will get underway at the beginning of next week. The tiling is complete in the rest of the rooms. Desks have been ordered and will be delivered in time for the move. We look to still be on schedule to get back into the office wing by the end of October so arrangements have been made to have the office trailer removed from the lot at the beginning of November.
A couple of weeks ago all of our belongings that had been in storage since the fire were returned to us. There have been people going through the boxes sorting out what is there and determining if everything that was saved is really usable. There are lots of books that were in room 206, the offices and Pilgrim Hall. Many suffered water and fire damage – some came back “singed”. We are saving what can be saved, and have to make a list of those that are not worth keeping so they can be added to the insurance claim. There was a lot of stuff from the Bugbee Kitchen that had been removed and stored and most of it has been returned. I am happy to be able to report that one of the things saved was the clock from Pilgrim Hall, donated by the Hornyaks, and refurbished by Mike Mangini after the fire. It is sitting in my office in the trailer now, chiming the hour and the half hour regularly.
Work on the new Meeting House is also moving along. A new water main has been put in, along with a drainage pipe. The concrete contract will be awarded by the end of the week and work will begin very soon on the footings and other foundation work. A site has been selected for the new transformer (the southwest corner of the lot) and work can begin running the power cable from the source pole to the transformer. Once construction is underway power will be run from the transformer to the mechanical room in the Meeting House. This location of the transformer means that there will be no digging necessary in the Memorial Garden.
The Building Committee continues to review plans and make decisions. After much discussion with input from the architect, acoustician and construction manager, the design of the sanctuary ceiling was determined. The design chosen will give us enhanced sound from the organ, from singing, and from people speaking. The committee is looking at various pew builders to find a pew similar to the ones in the previous Meeting House. They are also looking at folding chairs for the Foundation Room, furniture for Pilgrim Hall and the meeting room and various light fixtures needed. The group is even reviewing placement of electrical outlets to help make the Meeting House as “user friendly” as possible.
The Design Committee will meet this week and is getting close to making recommendations about flooring and fabrics to be used in the sanctuary. They are being very conscious of appearance, but are also concerned with acoustics and expense. They will make their recommendations to the Building Committee who will make final decisions about décor.
The Building Committee continues to monitor the build@somerscongregational.orge-mails, so if you have a question or a comment, that is a good place to take it. You can of course also speak with any member of the Building Committee.
