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: 62These photos are looking down from the third floor. The stairs at the bottom of the well are the stairs coming in from the outside. The landings, which mark the halfway point between floors, remain in place.
A group of volunteers from The Hartford came out today to plant new trees in Asylum Hill for Arbor Day. We helped to line up some homes looking for trees for this event, and one of the interested homeowners was at 156 Sargeant Street. They were looking to establish a natural buffer between their property and Sigourney Street, and they were very happy to receive their new trees. Trees were provided by Knox Parks, and additional trees went in all along Sargeant Street.
The new staircase at 54 Huntington, looking fabulous!
Progress at 54 Huntington: an exterior shot showing the beginnings of the front porch; a look into the kitchen; a look up the staircase (not for the fainthearted!); the front bedroom, with light fixtures ready to be installed; the rear bedroom; and the third floor bonus space.
Work underway on 207 Garden:
New subfloor in the 207 commercial space
Peeks at the second and third floors
The new hallway from the apartments to the elevator shaping up
The new entrance and lobby to the apartments and offices
And, of course, a look up the elevator shaft!
We're getting ready to restore the staircases at 207 Garden Street, so we headed over today to capture the original staircases for posterity and for the contractor who will do the restoration work on the stairs. A lot of the treads and risers will have to be replaced, but we will be meticulous in our effort to ensure it will retain the same look and feel as the original.
While we were there, we strolled through the gutted second and third floors and snapped a couple of photos there, too. The big hole in the floor in two of the pictures is going to be new access to the basement in the 207 commercial unit.
Also, we included two extreme close-ups of the curved risers on one of the staircases from behind. These shots give a rare glimpse into carpentry from almost 100 years ago.
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Liam McGee, who had been CEO of The Hartford from October 1, 2009 through July 1, 2014. Mr. McGee arrived at The Hartford during a transitional period in that company's history, but as he worked to transform the company he continued -- and deepened -- The Hartford's commitment to Asylum Hill. On November 16, 2010, just over a year after he took over at The Hartford, he pledged $7 million to the neighborhood, including funding to acquire and demolish the Capitol West Building on Myrtle Street.
It's a sad day today at NINA, as we had to say good-bye to the gingerbread version of 1 Imlay Street. We knew this day would come, but we were compelled to reach it today because of signs of deterioration in the confectionary as well as signs of curious mice having visited overnight.
It departs via NINA's current project, 54 Huntington Street. We'll miss it, but it will live on forever in bloggy digital heaven!
Thanks to Ray Marcotte at The Hartford, we were afforded an opportunity to take some photos of 207 Garden Street from a unique vantage point: the top of The Hartford's Fraser Place parking garage. It's also a view that won't exist much longer, as The Hartford is right now completing environmental remediation on the structure as a prelude to demolishing it.
