Historic Richmond Town Remembers Jason Scala
Standing in front a 20 foot Christmas tree with his family and HRT Second Vice-President Robert Champi, Jason Scala receives a token of appreciation (framed painting by Scott Lobaido) from Historic Richmond Town in December 2017 for his work on the Courthouse.
Historic Richmond Town mourns Jason Scala, who passed away on April 29, 2020. Jason’s dedication and support of this Staten Island educational non-profit saved the landmarked Courthouse from disaster. His connection and appreciation of Historic Richmond Town was fostered through a past Board Member Dr. Meryl Efron.
Dr. Meryl Efron engaged Jason’s father Nick, a talented craftsman, on many projects through the years and as a young man Jason often helped out. When Dr. Efron passed away suddenly Jason wanted to honor her love for Historic Richmond Town by using his skills as a craftsman to do something grand.
Using the resources he had built through his successful restoration company in New Jersey Jason took on a major restoration project on one of Historic Richmond Town’s crown jewels, the iconic 1837 Courthouse. The courtroom ceiling on the second floor was badly damaged from years of water damage from roof leaks and exposure to everyday use over the past 175 years. The peeling paint, plaster damage and cracking was an eyesore and hazard to visitors.
Jason and a crew of four travelled from Jersey City for nearly a full week and donated the time and supplies to painstakingly restore the ceiling. Perhaps the single most impressive part of the project was the way Jason personally matched the paint and blended it seamlessly into the rest of the room. The care and attention to detail highlighted his mastery of the craft. Jason was a true artisan. The final result was a beautiful ceiling that promoted the use of the space for over 25,000 annual school children and countless other visitors.
As a small token of our appreciation we invited Jason and his family to be our guests at the upcoming Candlelight tour. These sold out tours conclude in the Courtroom. At the end of the tour Historic Richmond Town honored Jason with a piece of artwork from a local artist and speech. Jason’s young daughter’s face beamed with pride as her dad received this much deserved attention.
As Jason's love and dedication to Historic Richmond Town grew he said something we will never forget - he saw himself as an older man doing more volunteer work to help support the restoration mission.
Jason Scala will never be forgotten by Historic Richmond Town. We are proud to honor his memory.
~ Robert Champi, Second Vice President, Historic Richmond Town