Welsh Parlor, located in the Haggar College Center at Saint Mary’s and more commonly referred to as Haggar Parlor, will be out of commission for an estimated nine to 10 weeks due to floor damage, according to Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations at Saint Mary’s.
“On Jan. 24, 2014, a steam coil in a radiator cracked, and water from the unit flooded the floor,” O’Brien said.
The damage done is not only extensive, but also irreversible, she said. The repairs, which include replacing the floor with white oak wood, will cost $35,000, and Saint Mary’s hopes to have the parlor ready for commencement, according to O’Brien.
The Haggar College Center, which was dedicated in 1942, originally housed the Alumnae Centennial Library, O’Brien said. Saint Mary’s later converted the space into a student center.
According to O’Brien, Haggar parlor is frequently used for meetings, panel discussions and dinners.
Haggar Parlor is a popular venue for events, which now will have to change locations, O’Brien said. One event that has been affected by the closure of the space is the 2014 “Chimes Literary and Arts Journal” release reading.
Kathryn Haemmerle, an editor of the journal, said the parlor’s closure is disappointing, given the parlor’s ideal environment for the release reading.
“We are partial to Haggar Parlor because it’s very suitable to readings,” Haemmerle said. “It has light and space, with an area near the piano for a contributor to stand and read their work.”
Nevertheless, O’Brien said there are other venues available for hosting campus events, and the new floor will make up for the temporary loss of the parlor’s availability.
“The tradeoff for losing the space for a while is that a brand new white oak floor will be installed, which will update the room and make it even more majestic than it already was,” O’Brien said.
If the parlor is not completed before commencement, related events may have to be moved elsewhere, O’Brien said.
