The restoration of the Nott Memorial continues at a furious pace.
In December and January, scaffolding was erected to encircle the exterior of the building while workers gutted the interior.
The structure has been opened to restore the dramatic view from the main floor to the dome ceiling some ninety feet above, and crews removed the plaster that covered the interior stonework.
There is scarcely any evidence that the building once housed a theater or a library. All partitions have been removed to reveal the interior framework. Gone, too, are the theater lights and the massive ventilation system that blocked the floor-to-ceiling view.
Despite the cold weather that hit the Northeast in January, the project is advancing on schedule, according to
Paul Pothier, project superintendent for A.J. Martini, Inc., of Malden, Mass. The rededication of the Nott Memorial is planned for Founders Day in February, 1995-a highlight of the College's bicentennial celebration.
The first floor has been covered with a layer of plywood to protect the encaustic tile, which will be restored or replaced as necessary. A representative from Craven, Dunnill & Company, of Shropshire, England-the company that produced the tiles in the 1870svisited the Nott to take samples of the tiles to be reproduced.
At this writing (late January), the next steps are stabilization of the building's main walls by installing ring beams that circle the interior at three levels, removal and restoration of the windows (to be covered temporarily by plywood), and reinforcement of the concrete piers in the basement.