New London - Construction crews completed the move of the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse across Atlantic Street Tuesday, and the 235-year-old structure now is resting above its new foundation.

The first phase of the move was finished Monday afternoon, leaving 30 more feet to go for the 30-ton building.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, workers from High Caliber Contracting LLC of Milford began positioning the railroad track-style steel beams that carried the schoolhouse to its destination. Crews finished the move across the street by early afternoon.

“Half the day to move 30 feet,” said Stephen Shaw, property manager for the Connecticut Sons of the American Revolution, which owns the building.

Shaw said the workers are also reorienting the structure in a slight counterclockwise fashion for its new home on a soon-to-be built plaza.

”It won't be directly facing Bank Street like it was,” Shaw said.

While the major portion of the move is complete, crews still need to finish lowering the structure onto the foundation.

Shaw took advantage of the suspended schoolhouse position to inspect parts of the building that otherwise would be hard to see.

”It's like having a car up on blocks,” he said.

Shaw expects there will be slight damage to the interior plaster along the northwest corner of the building, as it has settled over the years. When the schoolhouse is placed on its new level foundation, the corner will lift slightly, which will cause to plaster to crumble.

The schoolhouse move, the sixth in its history, is part of the $10 million renovation of the Parade scheduled to be completed by January 2010.

Work will most likely resume on the schoolhouse on Thursday, due to expected inclement weather on Wednesday.

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