Up, up and installed

Hewlett-Woodmere replaces damaged cupola

Posted

Traffic was slowed and stopped on Broadway in Woodmere last Friday as a 150-foot-tall crane lifted a cupola tower and its copper top into place at the peak of the Woodmere Education Center, 70 feet above the street.
The original cupola, the dome-like structure atop the school building, which was constructed in 1917, had been destroyed by Hurricane Sandy’s winds.
The building, at 1 Johnson Place, was once home to Woodmere High School and Woodmere Elementary School, and has served as the Hewlett-Woodmere School District’s administration building since 1995.
Though the design is similar to the original, the new materials being used are expected to withstand the elements better, district officials said. “It was one of the most significant, if not one of the most dramatic, parts of school district property that was damaged,” said Kim Parahus, the district’s director of school facilities and operations.
Hewlett-Woodmere’s buildings were not as extensively damaged in the storm as Lawrence High School, which was forced to close for nearly four months. But when Hewlett-Woodmere’s cupola crashed to the ground, the psychological impact was felt throughout the community. “It’s always important to restore damage to a building,” said Board of Education President Scott McInnes, “but I think replacing the cupola on a historic community building that is such a visual component of the district is that much more satisfying.”
Replacing the landmark cost approximately $150,000, which was covered mostly by insurance, district officials said. The Melville-based H2M Architects & Engineers drew up the plans for the replacement cupola. It took several months to fabricate the parts, which was done by Campbell Industries Inc., a Kentucky company, district officials said. The New Jersey-based Elite Roofing coordinated the project, including the installation.
William Voyes, the district’s head custodian, who grew up in Hewlett and graduated from the high school in 1975, said he takes great pride in maintaining the building, especially the original clock, which he winds with a hand crank. The clock was temporarily disconnected during the installation work. “All the parts are original, and all are in great shape,” Voyes said of the clock, as he watched the cupola being restored to its rightful position.