A series of entries designed to capture the ongoing adventures of NINA! See how we came to be where we are today, and follow along as we enter the new century of social media!
Page: 45
I inadvertently came across some information about this tree – it may sit atop the actual Asylum Hill! It turns out that an oak tree had been at this spot for a very long time, and the oak marked the summit of Asylum Hill. Then about 110 years ago that oak died and had to be removed. A new tree was then planted, and although I haven’t confirmed it yet, I’m pretty sure it was this very tree.
There are two wrinkles to this tale. The first is that while this may mark the summit of the hill, it’s probably not the highest point any longer. When Garden Street was paved and widened, workers removed the dirt from the summit and moved it to what would become the walls of the reservoir, which is now The Hartford’s visitor parking lot – and which is now a higher point than the summit. The second is how high above the sidewalk the tree is. The workers were careful not to disturb the original oak tree, which meant they left its root ball intact. That mound of mulch between the sidewalk and the base of the tree, then, marks the location of the oak’s root ball.
How cool is that?
The future footprint of the town homes is easier to see now.
Been meaning to post a photos of the wallpaper we found behind the more modern wallboard for awhile now.
The new rear stairs are under construction, and framing is move along nicely.
The new hardwood floors are going in. The wood inlay, which is in between the parlor and the kitchen and in between the dining room and the side parlor, marks the original front of the house. We thought it would be a nice feature to mark the divide between the original 1880s house and the 1890s addition, and we think the wood inlay looks really good.
Also, take a look at the poster covering the front door. That’s the last connection to the old non-profit that had its office here, and we’ll be breaking that connection soon.
We are underway on Hawthorn! A nice hole was dug today.
The Partnership for Strong Communities mentioned NINA's work on affordable housing in Asylum Hill in a nice piece on diversifying Hartford's affordable housing stock on its web site today. Not to sound ungrateful, but they did get the address of the Zunner Building wrong! It's at 207 Garden Street, and it does include a three-bedroom along with several one-bedroom apartments, all of which are affordable and in a fantastic location. The addresses that the piece did list, 87 and 89 Atwood Street, are still NINA projects, though. They are the side-by-side, three-story townhomes that we located behind the historic facade of a Perfect Six.
The other address listed, 4-40 Vine Street, is a fantastic set of buildings beautifully restored by our peer CDC, Sheldon Oak Central.
It's always fun to pull down the modern walls in a historic building, because you just never know what you'll find. At 117 Sigourney Street, we found a bucket above the ceiling. Best guess is that it was a worker who left it there, from when the building was built or for some repair work done after that.
The Friends of Sigourney Square Park hosted the Fifth Annual Caroling in the Park tonight. The event was sponsored by the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association and NINA, with support from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford and Youth Challenge. Santa arrived on a sleigh provided by the Hartford Fire Department, and he heard Christmas wishes from kids (and adults!) and helped to lead the singing. The Glory Chapel Choir provided cover for anyone too nervous to sing, and afterwards we all went to Glory Chapel for hot chocolate at Glory Chapel, just a block away on May Street.
Pictured in the slide show are members of the Glory Chapel Choir, Santa Claus, Luwannia Martin, Val Carrier, David Corrigan, and David MacDonald.
Photos by Bernie Michel.
A group of volunteers from The Hartford's IT section came in today to help out on 117 Sigourney Street. They helped out with removing nails and hauling in the new windows, which arrived this morning.
