The Leffingwell House, c. 1675, has a new tapersawn Western Red Cedar roof installed with traditional roofing methods. Hit play to see the transformation.

Why Choose Connecticut Roofcrafters for Historic Restoration?

Historic Roof Restoration is nothing like a typical residential roofing job. First, it takes curiosity and research to match a new roof to the original one. Second, it requires a knowledgeable and skilled hand to recreate the aesthetic of a centuries-old structure. Finally, it takes patience and discipline – these installations often favor longevity and look over installation efficiency. Here are some reasons why Connecticut Roofcrafters is regularly considered for this type of work:

• Experience – you’ll find no other roofer in Connecticut that has done more of these jobs than Connecticut Roofcrafters. Beyond the art and craft of this work, we also understand the local, state, or federal guidelines for keeping a structure on the register of historical places. 
• Passion – at the end of the day, these types of jobs are our favorites. While we bring professionalism and expertise to every project we are involved in, these types of jobs are the ones we daydream about in our spare time.
• Expertise – we have mastered the installation techniques associated with these types of projects. We have put up more wood, slate, or architectural asphalt roofs than we care to count – we’ve seen it all with installations and bring this expertise to the table. 
• Competitive Pricing – because of our experience and expertise, we can minimize the unexpected as well as errors which allows us to deliver pricing on par with any highly experienced and quality-focused installer you will find in this field. We may not be the lowest bid, but you can bet your bottom dollar our bid will represent the highest value.
• Professionalism – we pride ourselves on hearing the words, “Connecticut Roofcrafters exceeded our expectations” and we hear that phrase often.  It’s a point of pride that every member of our team looks at this as the ultimate compliment.

John Carpenter Silversmith Shop – erected between 1772 and 1774. See the transformation of this National Register of Historic Places structure here.

The Oak Cabin is a historic recreational building at Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth, CT.  Built in 1937, it is a fine example of structures built in Connecticut by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Along with Schreeder Pond, which it sits adjacent to, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

There were a few noteworthy components of this project. For the bellcast gabled roof, we specified and replaced the wood roofing with Western Red cedar, installed copper flashing, and repointed the fieldstone chimney. Concerns about theft kept us from using real copper for the Yankee gutters so we recommended, fabricated, and hung copper-finished aluminum, which closely mirrors the original look.

Where this project got really interesting was repairing and replacing the doors and windows.  We had to fabricate three doors made of reclaimed vertical boards fastened with wrought-iron strap hinges. We also made reparations to and replaced some of the multi-light wooden casement windows that line all sides of the building. We used traditional techniques to do this so they retain the look of the original doors and window from the mid-thirties.

We also reset the entire fieldstone patio and excavated for and then installed a walkway from the parking lot to a custom ramp that was compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

At the end of the day, this was a very satisfying project for us. Not only were we able to revisit a building that represented a historic period of construction in the United States, but we also got to do it in a park that is near and dear to our hearts.