GERMANIA
37 Old DeGarmo Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
A German/American Club
 
OUR NEW HOME IS OPEN



2006 AUGUST 2006


On the last day of July, 2007, your webmaster was in Poughkeepsie to help his last living uncle celebrate his 96th birthday. During that oppressively hot day I stopped by the Germania compound on DeGarmo Road to see how things were faring with the new Hall. I was lucky to find some of Germania’s member present, so the new Hall was open and I was able to get inside to take photos of all the doings happening.

If you haven’t been to visit the new Germania Hall or haven’t seen photos of the building, let me offer this photo essay.
The new hall is utilitarian on the outside, with white board and batten siding. The most noticeable external feature is the portico, allowing drive-up and drop-off for our less mobile members and, of course, great protection for foul weather arrivals. Were our designers smart or what?

The new Hall is the first thing you see on Old DeGarmo Road, and the view from the parking lot entrance, across the soccer field, to the Recreation Grounds Shelter is quite impressive. The Germania Compound is one wonderful place to visit – even when there is no one around!
For those who have not yet been to the new Hall, but who have, in the past, visited the Germania Recreation Grounds, this photo gives you an idea of the view looking the other way: from inside the shelter you can look across the soccer field to the new Hall and parking lot.
Enter the front doors of the new Hall and you find yourself in a good-sized anteroom for removing and hanging coats and while keeping the inside and outside climates separate.
Step through the anteroom and you're immediately in the main room. It compares very favorably with the main room in the old Main Street building. The room is more square than oblong, with a recessed ceiling design in the center. I can just imagine how committee chairs and wedding decorating mavens will utilize that space so well predisposed to embellishment.
Look closely at the far wall of the room in the photo above. Above the two doors leading outside to the parking area is the exit sign. That exit sign is in a horizontal cove by the ceiling. You can see the shadow of the cove halfway between the top of the door frame and the exit sign. That cove contains a large steel I beam. To the right you can see a vertical cove that houses a steel column holding up the beam. When the time comes for expansion, we can remove the north wall of the hall, and the I beam will support the roof above as we push out to the north. But that's a few years away! We still have some major fund raising to do to cover current expenses. (Ahem!)
Off to the right is the bar area and the beautiful new mahogany topped horseshoe bar. I understand some are even thinking of ways to separate the bar from the main room for during special events or other times when it might be appropriate for the bar area and the banquet area to be separated.

Here's the bar head-on. There's room enough for a crowd to reach critical mass for fun times. The Blue and White Soccer Club provided the wide screen TV - just in time to watch the World Cup matches.

The Back Bar was ready for stocking this summer, although it is likely fully stocked now. The inside of the bar is well laid out (and I've tended bar, let me tell you, that's a nice place to work!) and can handle lots of business.

What would a German-American Club be without good German and American beer? The Germania Hall bar is all stocked and ready! And, yes, I can speak from experience: there is very good German beer on tap.
Will you just look at this kitchen? We are cooking with gas! (To coin a phrase.)

There is just no way to get the whole kitchen into one photo, so I have provided a series of photos that show succeeding views around the room. To the left, in the first photo, is the food prep area, slicer, and microwave. The second photo shows some small appliances, the mixer, crockpots and such, and the first of two - count 'em! TWO - ranges with conventional ovens below. Photo three shows the second range and oven, the grill, with another oven below, and the deep fryer. But wait, that's not all!
Johnny, show them what's in photo number four! In photo number four, next to the deep fat fryer, we have a lovely double convection oven, perfect for breads and pastries and all the specialty baking Germania is so famous for at German Heritage Days. But not only that, just past the convection oven is a large and spacious dry storage area! If that doesn't float any cook's boat, nothing will!
Here's a side view of the whole east side of the kitchen. Yes, that's just the east side. On the west side is the dish area, with scrub sinks, dishwasher, and proof cabinet. Are we tricked out or are we tricked out?