The Stevens Gatehouse, one of the few remaining parts of the original Stevens Family estate, is currently in the process of being deconstructed. Built in the 1850s, the Gatehouse served as the entrance to Stevens Castle, which was later demolished in 1959 to make way for the Wesley J. Howe Center. Unlike the castle, the Gatehouse will eventually be reconstructed back in its original location in 2021.
The Gatehouse is being deconstructed because it was struck by a delivery truck during the summer, causing it to become a safety risk to people in the area. Immediately after the Gatehouse was struck, a consulting team was called to Stevens, and shores and scaffolding were established “to protect pedestrians in the event of falling debris,” according to Frank LoCastro, the Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Campus Operations, who is managing this project. Following this structural reinforcement, a more thorough evaluation was conducted, recommending a dismantling of the structure. The contract of work was created and bid on by contractors, and was later awarded to Aegis Restauro, LLC, which began work “immediately afterward,” alongside the restoration architect, The Architectural Preservation Studio, which is documenting the structure of the Gatehouse in order to later rebuild it correctly.
In addition to the Gatehouse being deconstructed, the two stone monuments alongside Wittpenn Walk next to Davis Hall are being removed, in order to “permit construction vehicles to enter the student residence/university center project site,” which will be constructed in the location where Hayden Hall and Jacobus Hall are currently. The demolition of Jacobus Hall will begin this semester, while Hayden Hall is slated for demolition during the summer.
The deconstruction is scheduled to end this month, and the reconstruction of the Gatehouse and the two monuments are, according to LoCastro, “envisioned to be reconstructed in its present location at the conclusion of the student residence/university center project,” in Fall 2021.
Be First to Comment