Preservation Progress at InfoAge
Building 9001 - The Marconi Hotel Dining Room
The Marconi Hotel dining room is in excellent shape today thanks to hard work by InfoAge members.
 May 2006
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 June 2006 |
 June 2006 |
 A June 2006 view similiar to the August 1914 photo |
The space we call the dining room today is a combination of the original 1914 dining room, prepation room, pantry, kitchen and walk-in refrigerator.
To see the dining room and kitchen in 1914 click here.
In 1941 the Army removed the terra cotta brick interior partition walls to make a large room. In the front east corner of the room a section chief office was make using the terra cotta tiles and a salvaged door frame. We have renovation plans on file that substantiate the physical modifications.
During 1966 the enlarged room was divided into six office and a hallway. The new walls were made of 2 x 4s and sheetrock.
When the base was closed in 1993 the hallway and rooms had carpet, there were clean and all painted surfaces were intact. The hotel was ready for reuse.
During the winters of 2000 and 2001 the electric power was turned off allowing the basement to flood. We had to raise our protests to Congressman Smith's office to compel the BRAC office to restore the power. The 18 months of moisture saturated the walls with moisture and caused mold to bloom. The paint peeled too.
Faced with the terrible condition of the hotel we had no choice but to dry out the building masonry with dehumidifiers over many months.
Then to remove all mold infested materials and wash all surfaces with a bleach solution, then a hydrogen peroxide solution.
The next step was to remove all loose and peeling paint for proper disposal then repaint all surfaces with a latex sealer.
This caused InfoAge volunteers thousands of hours of extra work and tens of thousands of unnecessary expense.
Due to the BRAC office - This is what we started with....
This photo is taken from the same location as the 1914 dining room photo.
We removed the mold stained sheetrock and placed in in dumpsters.
To the left you can see the front room. To the right is the door to the section chief's office.
In the center is the hallway and in the foreground is the west office.
This view shows the west side looking to the rear of the dining room.
Note the mold stairs on the walls and ceilings.
We have removed wall on the west side of the hallway in 2004.
This shows the rear three offices on the east side of the dining room with the sheetrock removed
 Note the peeling paint. This hall was fine in 1999. |
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By March 2005 the walls are gone, it is time to paint and remove the remaining carpet and floor tiles.
For our August 13, 2005 WWII Memorial Dedication the dining room has a first coat of paint.
Visitors enjoy the vintage computers on display by MARCH. in the back of the room
Now that all the carpet and floor tiles have been removed, Dan Lieb of the NJ Historical Divers Association fills in the gaps in the
floor underlayment where the 1966 walls stood.
Below the underlayment is the WW2 dark green roll linoleum floor nailed on top of the original 1914 floor.
Another shot of Dan Lieb in action.
 Dan Lieb
painting the floor with grey sealer so the floor
looks nice for our member mixer |
 Dave
Snellman of the NJ Antique Radio Club takes a break to record our
progress on film.
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October 2005 - Excellent Progress and ready for a memvership mixer.
For the first time since before WWII Bob Pilcher and friends fill the dining room with live music.
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New Jersey Natural Gas employees and Wall Township High School ROTC members help in the dining room.
To read the November 24, 2005 article in the Coast Star click here...
March 2006 the terra cotta walls are demolished and carted out to a dumpster.
We filled a 10 yard dumpster with masonry debris.
 Smash smash smash....Down goes the Section Chief's wall. |
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The terra cotta walls are gone, except for the scares...
On the ceiling support beam in the photo above we found wallpaper that
matches the wallpaper on photos of the dining room in 1939 given to us by
the "King's Kids" when they visited InfoAge in 2006.
Note the fungus stains from when the building was infested with mold.
Pete and Nels work to get the dining room ready for our April 1, 2006 Transfer Ceremony
After the Celebration we went back to work preparing the dining room wall surfaces
for the tan finish paint. Here is Dan Lieb sanding some spackle smooth.
 Steve Goulart - Plaster Master |
 Dave Snellman - preparing floor |
 Phil Vourtsis edging with the finish paint |
 Steve making more plaster |
 Evan Koblentz and Ron Oleander |
 Frank O'Brien |
 John Cervini getting the floor ready |
 Dave Snellman hanging a board for a replacement light fixture |
Better and better....
and ready for the new oak floor.
 Mike (dad) and Jim Ruane do the final trim work |
 Mike and Jim at work in the distance. Look at that floor |
 John Cervini |
 Dan Lieb under the influence of latex paint fumes |
 Frank O'Brien |
 Tom Ruane in action |
 Bob Judge repairing molding |
 More progress by John Cervini |
The Lady who stepped into the roll of designer, Barbara Ruane. The selection of colors and choice of curtains
made the dining room spectacular. Here Barbara is reviewing the look of the new curtains in May 2006.
More photos to be added......
Page updated January 1,
2007
page created December
19,
2006