A new hexagonal bandstand, 80% larger than the old one, is being installed on the town green. Funded by private donations, it will cost about $200,000 and has approval from the Historic District Commission.
Photo provided by the author
(L to R) Local builder Elzear Roy, Social Services Commission Chair Robin Zatony, Suffield Rotary President Natalie Donais and Drake Smith, project manager for The Barn Yard in Ellington, at the new bandstand site. Rendering shown at right.
The impetus to replace the original rickety bandstand, which was built in 1976 and condemned in March, came from a conversation last spring between the chair of Suffield’s social services commission, Robin Zatony, and Peter Leclerc, the director of community services.
Zatony asked Leclerc how she could help, and he replied that he needed a new, larger bandstand to host events, but didn’t have the funds. Zatony said she thought she could make it happen.
Soon, she was spreading the word and soliciting private donors. Some, like local builder Elzear Roy, offered free or discounted services, while others offered monetary donations.
At his expense, Roy razed the old, rotted bandstand, removed the debris and installed the foundation for the new one. The nonprofit Rotary Club of Suffield, led by Natalie Donais, agreed to serve as the fiscal sponsor. They made a major monetary donation, along with the Packard and Casinghino families of Suffield and the Suffield Women’s Club.
There is still a funding gap, which Zatony is confident can be filled through the collective goodwill of town residents. You can make a tax-deductible donation to the Suffield Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 283, Suffield, CT 06078, Memo: Bandstand.
Bandstand construction
The Barn Yard of Ellington, which specializes in constructing post-and-beam and timber-frame homes, sheds and other structures, was chosen as the builder.
Zatony, who owns the Dowd Realty Group in Suffield, was impressed by the firm’s high-quality work from previous dealings. However, for electrical and other bandstand systems, the business was awarded to Suffield contractors.
Timber frame construction was chosen for the Suffield bandstand because of its reputation for lasting hundreds of years with proper maintenance.
Beams will be made from premium west coast #1 Grade Douglas fir, according to Drake Smith, a project manager at The Barn Yard. The tongue-and-groove roof, exposed from underneath, will be made from 1-1/2” thick eastern white pine, covered by 30-year life architectural shingles. At the peak will sit a copper-topped cupola.
The Suffield bandstand, like many timber-frame buildings, will be built with mortise-and-tenon joints. Mortises are slots cut into timbers that accept protruding tenons of the same dimensions from joining timbers. It’s similar to how fine furniture is made, and it’s very strong.
Wooden pegs hold the joints together. The Barn Yard uses oak pegs and goes a step further by strengthening the joints with concealed metal plates and hidden nuts and bolts, galvanized to prevent rusting.
The Barn Yard cuts its timber and joints using computer-programmed machinery that is accurate to within 1/32 of an inch, said Smith. The entire hexagonal bandstand will be cut and painted white at The Barn Yard’s manufacturing plant, then assembled on site like a kit.
The bandstand will sit on a 6”- thick concrete slab atop a foundation and underground concrete piers that support the eight uprights of the hexagon. The uprights are 8” x 10” thick and connect to the slab via steel standoff plates that hold them 2” off the slab to prevent rot. The slab will be stamped to provide a brick-like appearance, as required by the Historic District Commission.
The bandstand will measure 20’ across at its longest width, whereas the old one measured 15’, according to Zatony. The sheltered area under the roof will be about 260 square feet. Unlike the old hexagonal bandstand, the new one will not have railings, allowing for more flexible use.
The Barn Yard engineered the bandstand to withstand 120 mph winds. It will sit on a slope with all the sides except one having steps. The side without steps will be level with the ground, allowing easy access for wheelchairs and people with disabilities. A back wall will conceal electrical and audio cables and equipment.
The Barn Yard expects to erect the bandstand by June 1, taking at most two days, provided the weather cooperates, said Smith.
Zatony is confident that the town will host our nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations on the new bandstand.
Watch for new bandstand photos in the June issue of the Observer! z