Mike Hebert of Hebert Construction said supporters of the group that rebuilt the structure chose to replace the layer of tin on top instead of simply repainting it.
“It’s really corroded in places,” Hebert said. “We found out it’s actually more corroded then we first thought, so the best thing we can do is just replace the tin.”
His crews will also replace some rotted wood supporting the roof, but the shape and color will remain the same.
Hebert said he hopes to do the work in April, with the gazebo opening later this spring.
The gazebo has been closed and fenced off since 2010, due to safety concerns. The gazebo had damage to the concrete floor of the structure, as well as erosion on the brick supports and wear on the wooden columns and wood structure under the roof.
City officials and volunteers worked for five years to renovate and reopen the bandstand on the same spot before opting for a slightly shorter structure about 20 feet away. The current gazebo is 3 feet shorter than its predecessor and connected to the nearby sidewalk with a gently sloping ramp.
The Renovation Committee reopened it in October 2015, removing the fences for a grand opening. But the fences went right up back up while members tried to figure out how to repaint the roof.
Hebert said the original plan was to simply remove the lead-based paint on the skin and repaint it, until the corroded tin was discovered.
According to history of the gazebo written by local historian Douglas Hodgkin, the first bandstand was built in the park in 1868 and rebuilt in 1881. The last gazebo was built in 1925 about 10 feet from where the gazebo sits.
It’s been used for countless concerts and political events, including presidential candidates and presidents — Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. in 1960, John F. Kennedy in 1963, Hubert Humprey in 1964, Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1966 and Edward Kennedy in 1978.
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