ROCHESTER—
The most spectacular show at the Rochester Opera House is back in production. The severely damaged auditorium floor raising and leveling mechanism is again ready to take center stage, thanks to the dedication and technical expertise of George Allen, son Don, and the Oasis Alignment Services team, led by Regional Manager Bruce Littlefield. The historic mechanism, invented and incorporated into the Rochester Opera House/City Hall building by George Gilman Adams in 1908, is the only one of its kind remaining today.
During restoration in 1996 Mayor Harvey Bernier called upon OASIS founder, engineer and inventor, George Allen, to attempt the monumental restoration of the quirky mechanism, left for decades, frozen in the up position. Allen led his volunteer OASIS team, including Bruce Littlefield, in unlocking the forgotten secrets and in exacting a historically accurate repair. Why did George Allen take on such a daunting task that, in the end, required sixty hours per week and three years to complete? “It was a labor of love”, explained Mr. Allen.
As it sometimes happens, history repeats itself. The historic moveable auditorium floor mechanism, sustained seemingly irreparable damage in October 2007. Broken gears, twisted rods and compromised bearings…déjà vu, but a lot worse this time.
George Allen and son, Don, assessed the extensive damage at great length. They concluded that a historically accurate mechanism repair would demand complete removal and off site testing. Such a plan would be cost prohibitive. The idea of losing the ingenious system born in architect George Gilman Adams’ imagination was unthinkable, but the show must go on. The Allens devised alternative fixes including hydraulics or several small motors to lift and lower the floor in lieu of the original mechanism.
At some point during this tortuous process, Don Allen reported the astounding news that a portable magnaflux testing system could be brought on site to determine damage, which meant that an historically accurate fix was possible! George Allen and his skilled and dedicated team produced the first miracle repair during restoration. Without question, only OASIS, intimately familiar with every gear, rod, screw and intricacy of the hundred-year-old mechanism, would be trusted to produce a second miracle. But would they accept the challenge?
The answer from Regional Manager Bruce Littlefield, delivered with fervent emotion, “I could not imagine letting the last moveable floor of its kind die, especially with all the work the volunteers had put into the renovations of this historically valuable treasure, here in our own town. I knew it would take a lot of work, but I had the team that could fix it right!”
And, indeed, it did take a lot of work and the team did fix it right…so right that the old mechanism sings like new.
On Sept. 8, 2009 the OASIS team began the laborious job of disassembling damaged gears, bearings and rods. Team member Jay Jordan, fascinated by the hundred year old, yet well engineered mechanism, said of the laborious effort, “It was a miserable pleasure to work on.” Working in an extremely small crawlspace under the floor undoubtedly required ingenuity, evidenced by the employment of one quite unconventional tool…the skateboard. Both Jay Jordan and Jeff Copp, in turn and lying prone, rode the skateboard down a twelve inch board to reach damaged gear #7, tucked in at the farthest point of entry. Once retrieved, the gear rode the skateboard back. The team then loaded the priceless cargo into their van for transport to their Oasis shop for repair.
The team returned to the Rochester Opera House during the week of Sept. 28, 2009 to install the century-old, but good-as-new gears, rods and bearings. The far from state-of-the-art original motor and stop/start switch, treasures not to be tossed aside, were painstakingly restored and returned on Jan. 4, 2010 to, again, assume their unique role…to power “The Last Moving Floor in Action.”
On Jan. 6, 2010, Bruce Littlefield and Anthony Ejarque flipped the switch that begins the forty-five minute floor leveling process. The century-old mechanism whipped into action. “I’ve never seen it run this smoothly,” said Ejarque.
A historically accurate repair of a one-hundred-year-old, one-of-a-kind-mechanism unquestionably required an extra measure of expertise, creativity, patience and commitment. Adding special care at every step of the way, the OASIS team toiled many long hours through a grueling process from beginning to end. The community of Rochester is fortunate to posses this historic, cultural, educational and economic treasure and we are grateful for the Herculean efforts of Oasis Alignment Services, who, by their efforts, ensured that the “Last Moving Floor in Action” at the Rochester Opera House is preserved for the generations.
Photo caption: Jay Jordan was one of the people working on the massive renovation project at Rochester Opera House. (Courtesy photo)
The most spectacular show at the Rochester Opera House is back in production. The severely damaged auditorium floor raising and leveling mechanism is again ready to take center stage, thanks to the dedication and technical expertise of George Allen, son Don, and the Oasis Alignment Services team, led by Regional Manager Bruce Littlefield. The historic mechanism, invented and incorporated into the Rochester Opera House/City Hall building by George Gilman Adams in 1908, is the only one of its kind remaining today.
During restoration in 1996 Mayor Harvey Bernier called upon OASIS founder, engineer and inventor, George Allen, to attempt the monumental restoration of the quirky mechanism, left for decades, frozen in the up position. Allen led his volunteer OASIS team, including Bruce Littlefield, in unlocking the forgotten secrets and in exacting a historically accurate repair. Why did George Allen take on such a daunting task that, in the end, required sixty hours per week and three years to complete? “It was a labor of love”, explained Mr. Allen.
As it sometimes happens, history repeats itself. The historic moveable auditorium floor mechanism, sustained seemingly irreparable damage in October 2007. Broken gears, twisted rods and compromised bearings…déjà vu, but a lot worse this time.
George Allen and son, Don, assessed the extensive damage at great length. They concluded that a historically accurate mechanism repair would demand complete removal and off site testing. Such a plan would be cost prohibitive. The idea of losing the ingenious system born in architect George Gilman Adams’ imagination was unthinkable, but the show must go on. The Allens devised alternative fixes including hydraulics or several small motors to lift and lower the floor in lieu of the original mechanism.
At some point during this tortuous process, Don Allen reported the astounding news that a portable magnaflux testing system could be brought on site to determine damage, which meant that an historically accurate fix was possible! George Allen and his skilled and dedicated team produced the first miracle repair during restoration. Without question, only OASIS, intimately familiar with every gear, rod, screw and intricacy of the hundred-year-old mechanism, would be trusted to produce a second miracle. But would they accept the challenge?
The answer from Regional Manager Bruce Littlefield, delivered with fervent emotion, “I could not imagine letting the last moveable floor of its kind die, especially with all the work the volunteers had put into the renovations of this historically valuable treasure, here in our own town. I knew it would take a lot of work, but I had the team that could fix it right!”
And, indeed, it did take a lot of work and the team did fix it right…so right that the old mechanism sings like new.
On Sept. 8, 2009 the OASIS team began the laborious job of disassembling damaged gears, bearings and rods. Team member Jay Jordan, fascinated by the hundred year old, yet well engineered mechanism, said of the laborious effort, “It was a miserable pleasure to work on.” Working in an extremely small crawlspace under the floor undoubtedly required ingenuity, evidenced by the employment of one quite unconventional tool…the skateboard. Both Jay Jordan and Jeff Copp, in turn and lying prone, rode the skateboard down a twelve inch board to reach damaged gear #7, tucked in at the farthest point of entry. Once retrieved, the gear rode the skateboard back. The team then loaded the priceless cargo into their van for transport to their Oasis shop for repair.
The team returned to the Rochester Opera House during the week of Sept. 28, 2009 to install the century-old, but good-as-new gears, rods and bearings. The far from state-of-the-art original motor and stop/start switch, treasures not to be tossed aside, were painstakingly restored and returned on Jan. 4, 2010 to, again, assume their unique role…to power “The Last Moving Floor in Action.”
On Jan. 6, 2010, Bruce Littlefield and Anthony Ejarque flipped the switch that begins the forty-five minute floor leveling process. The century-old mechanism whipped into action. “I’ve never seen it run this smoothly,” said Ejarque.
A historically accurate repair of a one-hundred-year-old, one-of-a-kind-mechanism unquestionably required an extra measure of expertise, creativity, patience and commitment. Adding special care at every step of the way, the OASIS team toiled many long hours through a grueling process from beginning to end. The community of Rochester is fortunate to posses this historic, cultural, educational and economic treasure and we are grateful for the Herculean efforts of Oasis Alignment Services, who, by their efforts, ensured that the “Last Moving Floor in Action” at the Rochester Opera House is preserved for the generations.
Photo caption: Jay Jordan was one of the people working on the massive renovation project at Rochester Opera House. (Courtesy photo)
