The concrete pads for the building floor and the two enclosures were poured early in April, after the underground irrigation pipes and electrical conduit were installed. On April 10, the cottage was framed and sheathed, and the roof was lifted by crane and set in place.
Dodging the bad weather, crews from Apex Services were on site the week of April 13 to install the fence posts and lift the steel structures for the canopy roofs in the enclosures into place. The irrigation pumps were installed and the “Hot Box” enclosure for the pumps was put in place.
The roof structure is in good condition, but there were holes in the wood roof sheathing from chimney flues, and some of the sheathing was deteriorated. It was decided to add a layer of new plywood over the existing to make a stable surface for the new asphalt shingle roof.
As the stock German siding now available is not as bold as what was on the cottage, custom pieces were milled at the J. C. Snavely & Sons shop in Lancaster to exactly match the deteriorated siding that was removed. The siding was painted on all sides in the shop, to give the new wood as long a life as possible. Behind the siding the materials are modern plywood wall sheathing, adhered flexible flashing and breathable “Tyvek” building wrap.
By the end of April, the sidewalk was removed, and the new stone edging was in place. Aggregate samples were approved, so that the new concrete work will resemble the pebbly look of the perimeter walks around the park.
By May 8, most work will be complete. The restored windows will be in place. The sidewalk and driveway will be poured as soon as weather permits. The “Greenscreen” fencing and aluminum gates will be installed.
By the week of May 11, the planting beds and climbing plants will be in place. Ivy will grow up the screens and complete the enclosures to each side of the cottage. Over the summer and fall, park users will be able to watch as the vegetated wall becomes a reality, and the “new old” cottage settles into the life of the Square.
Our Spring 2009 Project: Restoring the Gardener’s Cottage
Construction Update - March 5th 2009
On Thursday February 26, the contractor buttressed the cottage with 2 x 4's, thus avoiding a Wizard of Oz type occurrence in the high winds of Thursday night and the storms that followed. This is an extremely windy corner, with unpredictable gusts and wind direction due the surrounding buildings. The snow and bitter cold hampered construction efforts on Monday and Tuesday.
In a dramatic scene of crane work on Thursday March 5, the entire roof structure was picked up off the walls and set on scaffolding at the west corner of the work site. The wall framing was too deteriorated to reuse in place, but the longer timbers will be sent to a furniture maker for reuse.
The contractor discovered a well-preserved double hung window on the north side of the cottage. It had been boarded over on both sides for many years to accommodate the electrical items on the interior and the Gator parking garage on the exterior. This window will be restored for use on the cottage east side.
During the week of March 9, trenching and rough in work will be underway for the park electrical service and the irrigation system.
The project team for the cottage reconstruction is:
· Friends of Rittenhouse Square - project sponsor and major funding source
· City of Philadelphia, The Honorable Michael Nutter, Mayor - additional funding
· Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, The Honorable Edward Rendell, Governor - additional funding
· Fairmount Park
· City of Philadelphia Capital Program Office
· Schade and Bolender Architects LLP
Project Summary
The current project will restore the Gardener's Cottage and replace its surrounding service areas. The Cottage is a charming building - like a child's drawing of a house - that will become a much greater asset to the aesthetics of the park, and still house the needed functions.
There will be two important changes to the site. First, the yew bushes will be replaced by a "Green Screen" fence that will allow for green enclosures on each side of the cottage, but without the looming quality and potential hiding places that the yews provide. The screen is a three inch thick mini-space frame that is engineered to give tendril plants the best possible climbing opportunities.
Second, the new enclosures will only be on the north and south sides of the cottage. The east face of the cottage will be revealed to passers by, and will become a backdrop for children's play in the grassy area between the cottage and the Billy goat.
The cottage is a tiny, picturesque structure dating from 1908, with thick German lap siding, multi-paned windows and a hat-like peaked roof. It had suffered from an electrical fire, and the siding and the structure were in poor condition. The building will be restored to its original appearance, with new wall framing and siding to match the original. The roof structure is in good condition, and it will be lifted off the walls and reattached to the new wall framing.
The main reason for the deterioration of the structure was the lack of a foundation. The wood framing members rested directly on the earth. The reconstructed cottage will have a full concrete foundation, and a concrete slab floor will replace the existing wood floor. The concrete floor will be much better suited to the use of the cottage, and it will be a better barrier to moisture, insects and rodents.
Most park users are probably unaware of the service functions of the cottage. All of the park lighting and the power for the fountain are controlled by a panel in the cottage. The lighting is turned on and off by means of a daylight sensor on the roof of the cottage.
The park irrigation is also controlled at the cottage. Previously, the pumps were in an unsightly concrete block bunker, and the controls were in the building. Now both will be housed in a weatherproof fiberglass "hot box" within one of the new enclosures.
Trash is collected in the Square regularly, which necessitates keeping a utility vehicle on site, currently a John Deere Gator. This vehicle is also used to plow snow in the winter, so there is a plow attachment and de-icing materials to be stored. The new entrance to the Gator parking will be from the Locust walkway, so that the concrete turn-around to the west of the cottage can be removed.
Outdoor storage is also required for various items needed for park maintenance, and the Friends use some storage space for special events.
The project team for the cottage reconstruction is:
· Friends of Rittenhouse Square - project sponsor and major funding source
· City of Philadelphia, The Honorable Michael Nutter, Mayor - additional funding
· Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, The Honorable Edward Rendell, Governor - additional funding
· Fairmount Park
· City of Philadelphia Capital Program Office
· Schade and Bolender Architects LLP
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