The Roof Comes First

Preserved, Restored to its full glory. A water color AI photo

I know very little about roofs, but I know 430 South Church Street needs one.

A few years ago, insurance paid for a new roof on the Cottage for Two in Nashville. When the work was finished, the contractor told me I was good to go for at least twenty years.

His comment brought me up short. I may have thought for the first time, I will have crossed the River Jordan in that time frame, but The Cottage should still be standing.

A historic house like 430 S.Church Street has a caretaker, Celeste Beatty, who wants to save this house. She knows that the roof on this house is not simply another home improvement. It is an investment in years we ourselves may never see.

The house at 430 South Church Street doesn’t have twenty years.

Without a sound roof, every rainstorm takes a little more of the house with it. Water works quietly but relentlessly. It finds the smallest opening and begins its slow destruction of wood, plaster, floors, trim, and everything that gives an old house its character.

Until recently, I assumed a roof was simply a roof. You took the old one off, put the new one on, and moved on to the next project.

Historic preservation doesn’t work that way.

The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office follows the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Those standards begin with a simple philosophy: preserve what you can. Repair before replacing whenever possible. When replacement becomes necessary, the new roof should respect the original design, appearance, and character of the house.

There is another lesson preservationists have learned through long experience. The roof comes first. Before restoring windows. Before repairing porches. Before refinishing woodwork. Before choosing paint colors.

Every dollar spent beneath a leaking roof is at risk until the roof itself has been secured. A sound roof buys something more valuable than shingles and flashing. It buys time.

Time to plan. Time to raise money. Time to restore. Time for another generation to fall in love with a remarkable old house.

As I continue learning the language of historic preservation, I am discovering that every project teaches a lesson.

Perhaps someone reading this has restored a historic roof. Perhaps you know what worked, what didn’t, or where you found help.

If so, I hope you’ll share your experience in the COMMENTS below. Your story, your knowledge, or a simple connection may help write the next chapter for 430 South Church Street. We have to find some money ASAP to save this beautiful historic downtown Rocky Mount home.

A sound roof gives us the chance to save everything beneath it.