Middletown Photos & History

Several recent photographs below the links; more Middletown photos at the links:

Wesleyan University Campus – Coginchaug River –Middletown House Moving

Indian Hill – Middletown-Long Hill – Coleman Shows – Middletown Misc.

Floating Meadows Tour – Jonah Center River Cleanup

Middletown CT Historic Buildings

Middletown CT Alms House

New Years Day 2009 (Dusk) Middletown West End

Coginchaug River Freezing, New Years Day 2009

Middletown History…..

Architectural Salvage: The St. John’s Community Center Demolition….

(added 8/4/07)

Demolition of the St. John Community Center was already underway today when the photos below were taken (7/07). Located in St. John Square in Middletown’s North End this building has served variously as a place of worship, a convent, classrooms, and a community center. The cupola formerly atop this 1883 structure was already on the ground when we visited the site today. We entered the building and photographed some of the architectural details that are slated for reuse. Yesterday’s Middletown Press reported on the planned recycling of many of the artifacts with the help of a local firm, Irreplaceable Artifacts.

Under the cupola also sits a large brass bell that will be preserved and donated to another church.
St. John Church, through preserving actual architectural and ornamental elements from the old structure, seeks to literally and figuratively capture the history and spirit of the old building in the new community center that will be built on the same site.
By reinserting aspects of the old community center into the new, the church is attempting to hold onto the roots of the past while building a structure that will meet the new needs of the congregation, said Tom Furtado, a building committee member.
The church will reuse all the stained glass windows, plaster figures of angels and the chapel doors.

Things the church cannot put to use will be donated to other congregations that have an interest in them. Anything else will make its way to Irreplaceable Artifacts on Main Street, the company, the company that is in charge of carefully removing aspects of the church that can be saved.