I’m a big fan of old buildings, and enjoy visiting ‘architectural salvage’ stores that stock old windows, doors, sinks, lamps — stuff that’s been saved from the wrecking ball.
So when the College started renovating the President’s victorian home at 1 College Circle I asked what would become of the many old windows, some of which are (to my eyes at least) just gorgeous. Could they be saved?
Yes, as it turned out, and they have been saved; Facilities put them in cold storage:
Many different shapes & sizes. Question now is, what do we do with them?
Alum Jim Friedman ’67 points out that it’s very very very very (get it?) difficult to build antique sashes into an existing structure, so I suppose their appeal is more along the lines of the aesthetic and, for us Fords, sentimental. (There, I said it.) Hang a sash on your living room wall and start a conversation. Think of the Presidential eyes that have looked through these windows and over to campus! The Vision Thing!
So how should we dispose of them? First come, first serve? Raffle at Alumni Weekend? Gifts/awards associated with HC annual giving? Dumpster? Sell them?
Also available: the old balustrades from the back of the Morris Infirmary:
To refresh your memory, they used to run along the roof line:
Look forward to your thoughts.
-CM