Unitarian Meeting House History(6)

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roofing material that proved highly susceptible to water leakage. ^[1] Each section of the roof is supported by between four and six 2-inch-thick steel bridge cables. (Within months of the building's completion, the architect complained to the contractor that water leakage had "ruined the finish on one of the pews and...loosened the veneer in several places." ^[2]) But most of the objections to the design were overcome and Lundy's plans were approved on Dec. 1, 1962. Matthew J. Reiser of West Hartford was named general contractor, and ground was broken on March 22, 1963. ^[3]

Not surprisingly, there were problems with the contractor and sub-contractors. Lundy and Reiser squabbled over many issues, including an extra sandblasting of the concrete piers so as to achieve a uniformity of color. With the dedication only a month away, Building Committee Chairman Garland Pass, in exasperation, wrote a sarcastic letter to the president of Austin Organs, which had informally warned the Society that less-than-perfect working conditions in the unfinished sanctuary might make it impossible for them to complete the installation of their "delicate instrument" on time.

We are fully aware that your organ is a "delicate instrument." As far as that goes this entire building is "delicate"--there have been a host of revisions, changes and conflicts that have presented problems to all parties concerned, but every contractor so far has managed to work them out. There is no reason that your company must be the exception and have ideal and problem-free conditions under which to work. Your problems when compared to those of the general contractor are pitiful. We now have both heat and light in operation at the building and you have free use of both. There are more than eight hours in a day and more than five days in a week. We suggest that you consider their use. ^[4]

The organ company got the message and completed the work in time for the dedication, which took place on December 6, 1964, ^[5] with the Rev. Nathaniel Lauriat, the congregation's eleventh pastor, presiding. ^[6]

* * *

At the time he received the Hartford commission, architect Victor Lundy had already designed St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Sarasota, FL (1960), and the First Unitarian Church in Westport, CT (1961); he would later design the Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich, RI; the clubhouse at the Bay Hill Country Club in Orlando, FL, the Sierra Blanca Ski Center at Lincoln National Forest, NM, the Church of the Resurrection in East Harlem, NY, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka [Ceylon] (1964), and the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, DC (1976).

Born in New York City on Feb. 1, 1923, Lundy was graduated from Harvard College in 1943. Returning to Harvard following World War II, he earned his master's degree in Architecture in 1948. Lundy began private practice in New York City in 1951, and briefly re-turned to his alma mater as Visiting Lecturer in 1957. He also guest-lectured at the University of California at Berkeley (1958), University of Florida (1958), Columbia University (1963), and Yale University (1964).

The American Institute of Architects twice awarded Lundy its Award of Merit, in 1960 and 1966, and its First ==>

Footnotes

[1]. Around 1970, a completely adhered first-generation rubber roof was installed. When that proved unsatisfactory, a loosely applied, single-membrane rubber roof was tried. This too proved unsatisfactory. To date, the best solution has been the EPDM single-membrane roof, loosely laid over the boards, which was designed by architect Roy Cook and installed in 1984.

[2]. Letter from Victor Lundy to Matthew J. Reiser, March 12, 1965.

[3]. Although Reiser's bid was $569,000, he was paid only $537,875. Unsuccessful bids ranged as high as $814,400. Among those participating in the groundbreaking ceremony was Cleora Miller, widow of the Rev. Payson Miller, who died on Oct. 28, 1962. Rev. Miller is memorialized in the Payson Miller Chapel. Hartford Times, photo caption (March 23, 1963), 5.

[4]. Letter from Garland Pass to the President of Austin Organs, Inc., Nov. 6, 1964.

[5]. First Unitarian Congregational Society of Hartford, "Order of Worship for the Dedication of the New Meeting House," Dec. 6, 1964.

[6]. Meyer, 83.

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (prepared 6/25/02)