Events set to celebrate restoration of historic landmark
By Deborah Rose
The restoration of all rooms in one of New Milford’s historic gems has long been awaited by committed volunteers and townspeople.
The wait is over.
The Merwinsville Hotel Restoration, the nonprofit organization that oversees the historical Gaylordsville hotel, will hold a reception and open an art show June 30 to celebrate the unveiling of the 181-year-old building’s restored third-floor ballroom.
The restoration of the ballroom is the final portion of work that began in 1971 when a group of local Gaylordsville residents formed the Restoration to save the deteriorating building.
“To see such a huge difference after all these years, you can feel it…. like the building is complete, and she’s back to what she once was,” said Jennifer Haase, Restoration vice president and treasurer.
The tea party reception, which will run from 2 to 4 p.m., will include tea sandwiches, small bites, and desserts served by Hendrick’s Catering of Sherman.
Entertainment will be provided by Kandie Carle with period dancing demonstrations.
Accompanying this milestone is an art show, affording a unique opportunity for artists to showcase their talent while highlighting the features of the 1 Brown’s Forge Road building that is listed on National Registry of Historic Places.
Artists are invited to submit works depicting interior and exterior views of the hotel by June 16 (see information below).
“It’s been such a remarkable change,” Jeremy Ruman, president of the Restoration, said of the ballroom’s new look. “We’re all just really, really thrilled about it.”
“It takes your breath away when you go up to the ballroom now,” Haase added. “Every time.”
Barbara Thorland, whose father sold the property to the Restoration for $1, said she is impressed the major work is done.
“Well, I think it’s practically a miracle considering what we started out with,” she said, describing the building’s poor condition in the 1970s.
Thorland recalled hearing comments such as, “Oh my gosh, you’re going to fix that?”
Ruman and Haase’s father, George Haase, “had a vision and convinced all of us that it could be done,” Thorland said.
She recalled the first meeting Gaylordsville residents had to discuss the future of the building.
“We sat around and talked about what we wanted to do, and I remember someone saying it would probably cost $25,000 to get it done,” she said with a chuckle.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin to calculate how much has gone into it,” she said.
Restoration of the building has happened slowly since the first meeting, with work being done over time, starting from the ground up.
With the interior space now restored, Thorland said, “It’s kind of like we have achieved the dream we started out with years ago.”
THE BALLROOM
What has been described as a cavernous space that had been used for storage and basketball games in recent decades now has a new look – and purpose.
Dedicated volunteers and local contractors breathed new life into the ballroom with every effort to preserve its historical integrity, while also putting in place the appropriate architectural structures to sustain the weight of the third-floor room.
Restoration work included minor repairs to the original wide-board wooden plank floor; the installation of sheetrock; painted walls; insulation; and new electrical wiring.
In addition, the dividing walls between several small rooms that surround the ballroom were replaced to ensure stability.
A small sign reflects the significance of one small patch of the room’s original plaster that was kept exposed.
“It’s glorious,” Ruman said of the completed restoration.
Private donations and funds raised at hotel events, including its three annual fundraiser art events, supported the restoration.
The ballroom was the venue for many dances and events throughout the hotel’s history and, more recently, storage.
Moving forward, however, the ballroom will be used for special exhibits and expanded museum space – perfect since there is a limit to how many people are allowed in the ballroom at any one time due to fire code, according to Ruman.
“Artwork and photographs will look amazing up there,” she said of the warm colors and lighting in the space.
“We will continue to have some sort of gallery on a rotating basis there,” she noted.
Some of the small rooms surrounding the ballroom will be used as additional museum space.
“We have some really great vintage clothing that had been dispersed around the museum,” Ruman said. “We’re going to move it all up there.”
A donated dollhouse and historic toys are also expected to move to the third floor.
“Every time I go up there, I think, ‘Wow’ because I knew the potential the space had and now see it,” Ruman related.
THE ART SHOW
The art show will include professional and amateur categories in three medium categories: painting/drawing, photography, and mixed media.
Artists are invited to submit one entry, which must have been created within the last three years.
Entries are due by June 16, along with an entry fee of $20.
A judge will determine the winners, who will receive cash prizes. The first-place prize in each category is $150 and the second-place prize is $75.
The exhibit will be on display throughout the summer, and visitors will be able to vote on the People’s Choice Award.
Show organizers encourage the artists to offer their work for sale. The hotel will collect a 30 percent commission on sales.
To receive a prospectus for the art show, contact Ruman at jeremy@merwinsvillehotel.org.
RSVP
Tickets for the unveiling are available online at www.merwinsvillehotel.org.
Tickets are $25 for hotel members, $30 for non-members, and $35 at the door.
Advance ticket purchases and RSVPs must be received by June 15.
Checks are payable to Merwinsville Hotel Restoration and can be mailed to Merwinsville Hotel Restoration, P.O. Box 304, Gaylordsville, CT 06755.
Merwinsville Hotel Restoration is a 100-percent volunteer-run organization, with a volunteer Board of Directors. The historic building is located at 1 Browns Forge Road in Gaylordsville, CT. For more information, 860-350-4443.
