Video: Playing a tune to renovate historic Poquatuck Hall

Some strummed guitars and others wielded banjos for a packed house at Poquatuck Hall in Orient Saturday. Even 10-year-old Gideon Burnes Heath participated in the evening of song and music, playing Coldplay’s “The Scientist” from behind the hall’s grand piano in front of an audience of more than 100 people.

Called a “Song Swap,” the duel-purpose event was aimed to entertain and raise money for renovations to historic Poquatuck Hall.

The Song Swap is the third of its kind, organized and emceed by Gideon D’Arcangelo.

“I like to think of Poquatuck Hall like our living room in Orient,” Mr. D’Arcangelo said during the event’s introduction. It’s a space where we can all come together and do this sort of thing.”

Poquatuck Hall was built in the 19th century to provide Orient with a town hall and entertainment center, which is still does today.

Money made from the first Song Swap raised funds to rip out the linoleum flooring to reveal and refinish the original hard wood beneath it. This year’s profits will go toward replacing an old oil furnace in the basement with a higher efficiency gas furnace.