Sep 02 2021
New Roof
It’s remarkable how many opportunities we have to improve our roofing situation.
In this shot from the dumpster, you can see the original roof sheathing stenciled “James, R. Bourne, Rhinebeck, N.Y.” Bourne, a Democrat who lost a 1950 Congressional bid, hosted Eleanor Roosevelt in what is now our living room. Back to the cottage, the story is that when the 1916 two–story farmer’s house burned down in 1939, it was replaced by a one-story Sears kit house. The stencil is consistent with that story — you can also find it on the joists in the basement, and it’s typical of kit houses. But I haven’t been able to identify a Sears house that matches the cottage. It seems closest to a Cape Cod model, but who knows.
No responses yet