Are we there yet?

Only a few more rows of blocks and we've made it to the top of the shaft!

Thursday morning and the last rows fitted into place. This phase is done. The boards, mortarboards, levels, water containers all come down. The scaffolding gets disassembled.

Next come a few shorter walls and Monday the demolition guys return to prepare hall openings.

Ironwork should be soon!

Please use caution when you drive down Vinewood and if you are walking be extra careful and watch out for the yellow caution tape.

Our summer reading clubs. for youth and adults begins June 23 with prizes for each reading club.

June 11 at 6:30 PM is our Family Fun Night--GET IN THE SWIM-- stories, activities and a snack!

Visit our June calendar page at www.baconlibrary.org/JUNE.htm for other fun activities.

Inside we are planning for the re-opening of the house. We will move the magazine browsing shelves into the house and make some comfortable seating areas. Offices will be moved to the 2nd floor. Some of the 3rd floor will be used for storage. The 1st floor will be 90% open to the public for quiet study, quiet reading, the Schwartz collection and current magazines. The 2 local history rooms will move to the second floor. It will take us probably 4 to 6 weeks to move shelves, books, desks etc, to new locations.

Second floor

Block by block the elevator shaft reaches each level. Ground floor, 1st floor and now the second floor is about half way there.

Painstaking work moving blocks and mortar and always measuring. Today they broke out a new set of levels and got the other 2 helpers up the scaffold to move blocks and trim or smooth mortar.

Looks more like a tower for Rapunzel and the white pickups parked below could be the modern version of the white horse prince. Our Rapunzel would be the good princess not like the one you'll see in the new Shrek movie!

Above ground

Quick moving thunderstorms interrupted work briefly, but the hardy masons were back at work. We are 7 or 8 blocks above ground level and there is a "door" for the ground floor entry.

Preparations for next level underway as guides attached to west wall.

Electricians out to place boxes and mark where access to new construction will break through.

We are constantly asked what's on the third floor? Contrary to popular belief there was not a ballroom. The third floor is mainly a large unfinished attic used for storage. There had been 2 servants bedrooms connected with a bathroom, now these are storage rooms, and an unworking bathroom. There is a large cedar closet through which a narrow staircase gives access to the "observation" tower atop the southeast corner of the home. Stories about the attic being haunted? We leave that to your personal choice!

Progress

Sunshine greeted the workers for several days and we watched as the foundation walls grew.

Tom guided the placement of each block.

After this section was to the correct height, the shaft area received a coating of waterproofing and we wait for the inspector.

A sample of the block wall was constructed for inspection as well as the exterior brick wall. We were able to check the mortar color against the actual bricks.

Then part of the hole could be refilled with sand. Work continued until lightening and rain ended the day.

Sunny work days help the progress.

Foundation masonry started this afternoon with the placement of the 1st row of blocks.

Blocks arrived on a flatbed and then carefully unloaded and stacked in the front parking area.

This orange vehicle was used to move blocks from stack to the work area.

A new work crew in today with the mason.

Hopefully next week we'll see some structural steel arrive.

Schedule has slipped a few days. It is exciting to watch the upward progress today! Our big decision of the day was selecting the color for the brick mortar.

Yesterday we had a good view of the Detroit Princess cruise boat docked at Bishop Park.

Please use caution when walking in front of the construction area. Our on again off again rain is leaving areas muddy and some parts of the sidewalk may be blocked.