History of Metal Roofing
by Arlene and Ron Kaiser
Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, was being built in 1769. It had a standing seam metal roof.
Metal roofs with galvanizing were common in Canada 1850s, more common in post Civil War era in the United States.
The Realy (Reuhle) homestead farmhouse had a meal roof in early photographs, and with the cedar shake shingles roof, installed during the 1980s in serious deterioration, the Waterloo Area Historical Society has recently installed an authentic galvanized metal raised seam roof on the historic farmhouse, built from 1855 with additions up to 1885.
The new roof will provide an authentic appearance and functional improvement that will last indefinitely.
Temporary financing has been provided by Farmers State Bank of Munith. Final costs will exceed $40,000, the cost of the new roof plus many repairs for preparation due to deterioration and decay of original building materials. (Spring windstorm damage caused severe leaks into the second story parent’s room and the large children’s room causing plaster damage to ceilings.)
The Waterloo Area Historical Society is seeking funds to pay construction costs in several ways. Direct donations may be made through a go-fund-me account on our Facebook page, Waterloo Farm and Dewey School Museums or by simply sending donations by mail to WAHS, P.O. Box 37, Stockbridge, MI 49285. Also there is a program call “Buy A Panel” with a donation of $100 increments with acknowledgement for all donations. No contribution is too small or too large.
