The Nott Memorial, an erstwhile home for pigeons,
is once again “for the birds.”
Not the real Nott, which was bird-proofed as part of its restoration in 1995. This Nott is a birdhouse measuring about two feet high. The creation of Schenectady residents George Woodzell, a woodworker, and artist Peg Foley, the structure was auctioned this summer to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady, which builds affordable housing for those who qualify.
The 100 or so birdhouses that were part of the auction include a submarine, several outhouses, a lighthouse, and
a caboose-but nothing like the Nott.
Woodzell, who spent three months on his creation, used elevation drawings supplied by the College's Special Collections. “Figuring out how to do it
was most of the fun,” he said of cutting the pieces from cedar to represent Union's sixteen-sided centerpiece building. Foley did the paint job, but only after carefully surveying the building during many walks through campus, she said.