By Elden Lindamood, Facilities Manager at Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps
Roofs are a part of our homes and buildings that we don’t often think about unless they are leaking. They are hard to get to, often out of sight, and more a source of anxiety than pride. Every now and then, however, special attention is given to roofs from an architectural and aesthetic standpoint. These special roofs give their underlying buildings a character that is often integral to the building’s style, and the loss of that character by unsympathetic repairs and replacements can be unfortunate. Although there are numerous examples of “special” roofs in Duluth and the surrounding areas, there are a few of my favorites.
Graduated Slate Roofs. These roofs draw their name from the practice of gradually decreasing the size of the roof’s shingles, most often slate, from the building’s eaves to the roof ridge. Perhaps originally done as a practical matter (based on material availability and economy), the practice became quite an artful and specialized skill. Here is a deeper dive into the what and why of Graduated Slate Roofs. There are a few buildings in Duluth that prominently display these beautiful roofs thank you to a popular architect, Bertram Goodhue, who seemed to really like the look. Duluth buildings that proudly display these roofs include 740 E Superior Street, The Kitchi Gammi Club, and Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church on East Superior Street; All designed by Goodhue.
740 E Superior Street has a beautiful and easy to see graduated slate roof.
Clay tiles are another roofing material that can lend significant architectural appeal to a building. Many people associate red terra cotta roofing tiles with southwestern or Mediterranean architectural styles, but Duluth has a number of buildings that do (or used to) have glazed green clay roofing tiles. Perhaps the most well known example is the Prindle House off Greysolon Road. The tonal variation between tiles, and the vibrant color certainly draw your attention to this beautiful roof.
Prindle House at 2211 Greysolon Road (Photo credit: Dennis O’Hara)
Steam-shaped cedar shingle roofs (or false thatched roof): A lesser known architecturally prominent roofing style is the steam-shaped cedar shingle roof. In this roofing style, shingles are artfully installed
in irregular coursing and over an intricate frame to create the illusion of a thatched roof, but with the reliability and durability of a cedar shingle roof. I am aware of one example of this beautiful roofing in Duluth, located at 199 N. 25th Ave. East.
As well as knowing where some of these spectacular roofs are in Duluth, I am also unfortunately aware of a few buildings that have had clay tile or other architecturally significant roofs removed and replaced with standard asphalt shingles (even within the last 20 years). If you are considering purchasing a home or building that has one of these special roofs, it should come with the understanding that maintaining them can be a costly endeavor. The expertise required to maintain or repair them is rare, and the materials can be extremely expensive, but there are companies that specialize in all three of these particular styles, and finding them in a digital age is not as difficult as it once was. Although some owners will inevitably still replace these special roofs with standard asphalt shingles, once that feature is removed there is little chance it will ever be restored.
I know when I see these special roofs, I would like to thank the building owners for their dedication and stewardship so these buildings can be fully appreciated by future generations.
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