The Construction of JEMS Space
June 21 to December 22, 2005  ~  so far

What is JEMS       What are they constructing

The Jay Entertainment & Music Society (JEMS) was formed 19 years ago to organize
free summer concerts on the Jay Village Green.  A highly successful run of years followed with tremendous community support for the events that JEMS produces in the area.

Carlos Straight was the first President of JEMS and bought the land that the future JEMS Space would be built upon.  There were two homes on the property as well as the firehouse.  The two homes were demolished.  Carlos sold the property to Norm Johnston.   It was Carlos who we first heard the idea from to build a theater for Jay, and how that property would have been perfect for it.  The Carlos Straight Memorial Scholarship in Art has been set up by JEMS in his memory and gives a $1,000 scholarship every year.

Over the years JEMS accumulated extra funds and decided the time was right to begin a capital campaign to raise money for a building.  We became an IRS approved Non-for-Profit Community Organization in 2004, and in November 2004 made a deal with Norm Johnston for the property and the old town firehouse.  The firehouse was built in 1948 and is in good condition.

Norm gave us one year, until November 1, 2005 to raise the ownership amount.  Fundraising events were planned and held, several well known musicians offered their services for free.  J. Snow who lives in town saw a press release in the paper about JEMS' dream and sent the article to her brother, Dick Ward, in Maryland.  He gave us a substantial gift and we will name the theater after his Father and Mother.  It will be forever known as the "Amos and Julia Ward Theater", in JEMS Space.

JEMS Space will be a multi functional space which not only includes the theater but an upstairs room of 800 sq. ft., suitable for many kinds of events and workshops.  Having this gift enabled JEMS to purchase the property and on the
first day of summer, June 21, 2005.

Kathy, Terry and Seth hand Norm the check for the property, but we knew a month before that we were going to make the purchase and so in May Seth brought his tractor over and we began the process of removing brush, trees and old lumber from the north side of the firehouse.

The photos below show a wonderful example of the work being accomplished so far.

Every Sunday JEMS members and friends would show up for work,
removing old siding or taking down chimneys.

The firehouse building was gutted of its sheetrock and insulation, all the ducting and plumbing ripped out, then the building had to be lifted and have the sills replaced, this was accomplished over the summer and into early September with volunteers coming on Sundays.

Cement is being poured into the wall forms on September 15.

Tarring the walls.

Leveling the theater floor with tons of sand and running heating pipes that will be covered by cement.
The theater, reception area and bath rooms will have in floor heating.

Colored cement was pour on November 1 and December 1 the walls are going up.

Although a great deal of the theater construction work is hired out, the work in the old firehouse has been totally by volunteers

Trusses were craned up in place on December 13

Here's what it looked like 6 months to the day of handing the check to Norm,
on the first day of Winter 2005

and miles to go before we sleep........

Return to Eating Art