The roof on the historic structure of the church was originally clad in slate. The patterns on the slate were achieved, not by dyes or paint, but rather by selectively choosing different colours of slate.
The original slate came from a quarry in Vermont. It lasted almost 140 years. This church was built to last. Standing the test of time is a quality that is shared both by the building itself and the people who have attended it over the years.
When it came time to replace the roof, it was decided that we would use slate and that we would , as much as possible, restore the roof to it’s original appearance and condition. The technique fore reproducing the pattern hasn’t changed. The pattern of the new roof is achieved through the use of different slates of different colours. This new roof will, God willing, last another 140 years.
Replacing the roof has been a costly endevour and there were solutions with cheaper upfront costs. Yes, we wanted to respect the historic integrity of the building and we wanted to pay tribute to the heritage of our community, but we do plan to be here for another 140 years. With that longevity in mind, we chose a roof that, over the full length of its lifetime would be the most cost-effective solution.
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