The Pergola Building in Dewitt Clinton Park Has Been a Big Useless
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The pergola building in DeWitt Clinton Park has been a big useless structure from the very first day it was turned over to the City, inasmuch as the pergola portion provides no shelter, and only serves as a rendezvous for the local undesirables, and is altogether avoided by the women and children of the neighborhood. The basement of the building was laid out with very little consideration or thought as to its actual use. The north half of the entire basement is set aside for storage space only. The south half contains a large demonstration hall, kitchen, office and bath room, toilet' coal and boiler room. The demonstration hall is unfit for any such purpose on account of the heavy concrete piers that run down the center of it and obstruct the view of the stage. All the other rooms are unfit for use, the floor being considerably below grade. The walls are not waterproofed, making the rooms cold, damp and unhealthful. Eighteen thousand dollars was appropriated for the reconstruction of this building on June 26, 1909. Plans and specifications were then prepared for the alteration of this building, and included new cast iron columns to replace the present wooden ones, and a new tile roof. On October 5, 1909, the contract for this work was awarded to the Crescent Construction Co. for $17,594.00. he Contractor, however, failed to execute his contract, and the entire proposition was abandoned. On November 5, 1913, this contract was abrogated and the funds were again made available for this work. Revised plans and specifications for the reconstruction of this building were prepared on different lines, so as to accommodate both the work of the Bureau of Recreation and the Bureau of Farm Gardens. The plans call for an entirely new structure above the main floor construction, of terra cotta blocks, and stuccoed, and a Spanish metal tile roof. The main floor is to contain a large gymnasium, two club rooms, demonstration room, household industry and a manual work room. The entire basement is to be overhauled, made water- proof, and new lighting and heating installed. The plans, including specifications, were hurried so that the work would commence this fall, and were submitted to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on July 31, 1914. The Comptroller, however, informed the Department that on account of the City's financial condition this improvement, although important, should be postponed for another year. Plans and specifications are being prepared for a new wrought iron picket fence 6 feet high set on a concrete coping, together with artificial granite entrance piers, etc., around Morningside Park from a point at the southeast comer of 110th Street, along the entire length of the park on Morningside Avenue east, then west along 123rd Street south along Amsterdam Avenue, and then east about 310 feet to a point where it will join the present granite fence. Twenty-five thousand dollars was requested for this entire work, but on July 10,1914, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment approved $18,000. It was therefore necessary to change all preliminary plans and devise a fence of a design and construction that could be erected within the appropriations. The usual construction of a picket fence is an expensive and laborious proposition, it being necessary to make the horizontal members wide enough so that they can be punched to receive the uprights. They also must be tap-screwed, riveted, spliced, halved, and each member must be handled several times before it is ready for assembling. The scheme of an electrically-welded fence was therefore decided upon. This method of construction will allow the weight of iron to be cut down to a minimum, will eliminate the necessary expensive, punching, splicing, tapping, etc., and for that reason will reduce the cost of labor very materially. The fence panels when completely welded are actually like one casting with absolutely no sagging or buckling. This makes the work of erecting very simple, it being unnecessary to handle so many parts. In the usual type of picket fence, the horizontal members are usually 51, X lqlf the pickets 2'' x %" In the welded fence, f,, It" pickets Q" x if' Therefore, in this case where there are about 5,000 feet of 6-foot picket fence to be considered, it represents an immense reduction in weight of iron. Contracts for general construction, plumbing and gas fitting and heating completed in October, 1914. This building is the latest addition to the list of park department buildings, and is the most complete and best equipped one in Manhattan. The enclosing of the pavilion portion was not a part of the contract for the general construction, and after the building was completed, the following open market orders were issued in connection with that work: 1. For nine casement frames and sash and one door frame, doors and transom; to be built of straight-grained American white oak, as per drawings prepared by the Architect. Estimates received from Kertscher & Co.. ............................................ .$975.00 Empire City Gerard Co.. ...................................... 854.00 Order given to Empire City Gerard Co.; work completed. 2. To furnish and deliver to John Jay Park pavilion building all the necessary hard- ware for the sash and doors enclosing the pavilion. Order given to Sargent & Co., $214.00; work completed. 3. For all labor and material required to glaze the sash and doors enclosing the pavilion: Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.. ................................... .$179.00 Marks Bros. ................................................. 137.00 Order given to Marks Bros., $137.00; work completed. 4. 102 Cast brass sockets and expansion bolts for pavilion. Coco Bros. ................................................... $98.00 John Polachek Bronze & Iron Co.. .............................. 168.00 Taylor Brass & Bronze Works. ................................. 76.00 Order issued to Taylor Brass & Bronze Works; material delivered. The work of erecting this enclosure is being done by the Park Department mechanics. The enclosure is so designed that it can readily be taken down in sections and stored in the basement during the summer season. Plans and specifications for a public comfort station for men and women in lsham Park were revised and transmitted to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment for approval. Plans were approved by the Art Commission, October 22, 1913, and by the Building Department, October 14, 1913. Estimated cost, $5,000. Preliminary plans were prepared for a new building in Union Square, arranged to provide for a shelter and band stand, public forum, and comfort station for men and women, together with the necessary attendants' rooms, foreman's office, boiler and coal room and store room. Plans call for a classic structure in the Ionic order, constructed entirely of granite. Estimated cost, $75,000. Preliminary plans were prepared for new boat and skate house in Central Park to replace the present old structure, which has long been in a state of decay, and is now be- yond practical repair. The plans call for a structure in a Spanish Mission style of archi- tecture, constructed of terra cotta blocks, stuccoed, and a Spanish metal tile roof. The building is arranged to provide facilities for both boating and skating as well as arrange- ments for the sale of refreshments. The end wings of the building are to have comfort station facilities for men and women. Estimated cost, $100,000. The Sheepfold living quarters in Central Park have been occupied by the shepherd for over thirty years, and in all that time not one dollar has been spent for overhauling or repairs of any kind. The premises, therefore, were absolutely unfit for human habita- tion. The rooms were generally overhauled, plumbing and kitchen outfits installed, the roof repaired, and new leaders put up. A water supply connection was made to the high pressure water main on the 65th Street Transverse road, and brought into the building, and a fire hydrant installed in the court yard. The following bids were received for the overhauling: r E. J. Alquist ..................................................$771.00 S.Dietz ...................................................... 865.00 Jos. Di Benedetto. ............................................ 997.00 Order given to E. J. Alquist; work completed October 15, 1914. This building is one of the oldest comfort stations in Central Park, and has received very little attention in the way of substantial repairs of overhauling since its erection. The obsolete plumbing was replaced with modern fixtures, for which the following bids were received: Edward J. McCabe Co........................................ .$580.00 Wm. C. Young. .............................................. 767.00 Wm.C.Dugg an .............................................. 535.00 Order issued to Wm. C. Duggan, $535.00; work completed. A new composition floor was laid in the toilet room, for which the following bids were received: The Tileine Co.. .............................................. $60.00 General Compolite Co.. ....................................... 85.00 Troegerlith Co. ............................................... 65.00 Order issued to The Tileine Co.,$60.00; work completed. The Park Department mechanics were put to work to overhaul the entire building, interior and exterior. The masons pointed up all the brick work from chimney to cellar, and reset sills and stoop, and put in a cellar drain; the carpenters repaired all the exterior and interior woodwork; the painters painted all the exterior and interior of the building; the tinkers repaired the entire roof and put on new leaders. The building is now complete in every respect, and can be classed with the best comfort stations in the park system. The plumbing in this building was equipped with a storage tdflushing system, which was very annoying and wasteful, and a source of continued complaints. This sys- tem was replaced with individual cisterns for each fixture at a cost of $153.00. This comfort station was originally for men only, but is now divided into two sections, to provide facilities for women.