Monday, August 9, 2021

About Benches

Readers who were here in 2014 may remember the great bench painting controversary at Bliss Towers, when Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood wanted to paint the benches outside the building, and Jeff First, then the executive director of the Hudson Housing Authority, resisted. Those who don't remember can read about it here and here. Interestingly, the benches that had been painted blue, yellow, and plum are now all brown again, as they were originally.

Over the weekend, Friends of the Public Square announced its plans to paint the benches in Seventh Street Park as part of a "Fall Spruce-up" to take place on Sunday, September 12, from 10 a.m. until noon.


The concrete supports of the benches, now painted white, are to be painted "a calming dark GREEN," and "some color and design" will be added to the wooden slats that form the seat and back. 

Those who want to volunteer to help paint the benches are asked to register at volunteerfops@gmail.com. Anyone who wants to paint or decorate the seat and back of a bench is asked to submit a drawing and color requirements so FOPS can provide the paint needed.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK
Posted by at

6 comments:

  1. tmdonofrioAugust 9, 2021 at 4:26 PM

    The Public Square, aka 7th St. Park, is a Historical part of Hudson.
    The benches in this park were usually painted a dark green w white concrete supports. The walkways were a fine gravel.
    Please maintain the history of our park.
    Or you can always place a clown figure for a fountain.
    Let’s do it right and not by the latest fad.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katherine@onlyobelisks.comAugust 10, 2021 at 6:48 AM

    FOPS is clear that this is a temporary step to get the community engaged. Money will be raised to replace the benches in the future. You are welcome to donate to FOPS for that effort.

    ReplyDelete
  3. olanafanaticAugust 10, 2021 at 8:31 AM

    Tmdonofrio: The Friends of the Public Square are very mindful of the history of the park's design and plan to raise funds for attractive benches that are in keeping with those in the old photographs. The original benches are not plank benches with white concrete supoprts. The reason for painting the supports dark green is that they will seem to disappear and not create a chaotic view of many bright white shapes at different angles and heights. The flier Carole reprinted makes clear that only a select few of the benches will have different colors on the wooden seat portions.

    Dorothy Heyl

    ReplyDelete
  4. tmdonofrioAugust 11, 2021 at 6:39 PM

    I’m quite concerned that anyone can do what they wish to a Historic Place in Hudson without presenting a plan to HPC.

    ReplyDelete
  5. olanafanaticAugust 11, 2021 at 9:24 PM

    tmdonofrio: FOPS plans to get approval from the HPC for any permanent changes to the Park. That includes benches.

    Dorothy Heyl

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)