Research Center Update

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • October 24, 2016

Work to the Main Room has begun as of Monday, October 17! The cabinetmaker, Mike Freedman, and his team has come in to begin working with the existing 1920s shelving. We will be keeping the major components, removing some of the shelves, and where absolutely necessary, making alterations so that we can fit in the large equipment needed, including a sink, chest freezer (for all those pre-processed skins), drying oven (to dry specimens), fume cabinet (for working with chemicals), refrigerator (for specimens not lunches!), and counter space. You can see in these images some of the first steps. In one image, you can see that underneath the shelving we revealed the original planks for the flooring of William Mitchell’s schoolhouse as the Main Room was once his school. Then in the 1920s, the MMA placed lovely pine flooring over it. Then in the 1960s/1970s, we unfortunately put down a plywood sub-floor over the pine and then the tiles you see today. In order to conserve money however, we are keeping the tiles (for now). We will clean and wax them.


Most of the new supports have been completed in the basement and the structural engineer was on site recently and designed the final component – the doorway that we need to create between the two separate basements.  Yes, the 1830s schoolhouse has a completely separate basement from the Wing!


So, things are moving still.  Other things we are working towards – the cut between the basements, the installation of beams to “sister” along the old ones that support the first floor flooring members, and making the cuts to ready for the new HVAC install.  Stay tuned!


JNLF

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