EASTHAMPTON — A few days after a sprinkler pipe burst, drenching a section of the Eastworks Mill Building, Mary Ryan was at her second-floor studio salvaging photo negatives, laying them out to dry on a table while dehumidifiers hummed throughout the room.
“We walked in and it was really like there was a thunderstorm,” Ryan said, looking back at Saturday afternoon when a sprinkler pipe burst.
In the downpour, her husband Tom Friedman’s six colored pencil drawings were ruined and he will be creating new pieces for an upcoming art show, Ryan said.
The incident is somewhat symbolic to the artwork. Ryan said the name of the collection is “It’s always the beginning.”
Ryan said the landlord Will Bundy called and offered her another space, but she thinks they’ll be able to stay in the one they have now.
She said they were lucky. Much of the artwork is stored on shelves in the front of the studio, which didn’t get wet. She said she has renter’s insurance that will cover some of the damages.
Strength for Life Health and Fitness on the first floor opened back up on Friday. Owner Josef Arnould said the chiropractic office was spared from the water, but his gym was soaked in the deluge. However, Arnould was able to save the artwork he had hanging in the gym.
When it comes to equipment, Arnould said the treadmills might be the only loss. He said the motors were submerged in water and are probably no longer usable.
There’s rust on some steel parts, but Arnould said it can be fixed.
“Its all a little wear and tear,” Arnould said.
The ceilings are stained and the walls and floors are damaged, he said. Representatives from Arnould’s insurance company are coming to assess the damages before major renovations are done.
Bundy said he expects the residential tenants to move back in over the weekend. Some have been staying with friends and family, Bundy said.
“We’re moving along,” he said. “There’s a sense that some people are feeling some relief, others are still trying to regroup.”
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.