Work underway to replace Seiberling Mansion’s 126-year-old roof – Kokomo Tribune

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Construction crews work Tuesday on finishing the scaffolding, the first step in replacing the 126-year-old slate roof on the Seiberling Mansion. The estimated $438,000 repair could cost more, depending on what is found when crews start pulling off tiles next week.

Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

After three years of studies, assessments and fundraising, its finally happening. The Seiberling Mansion is getting a new roof for the first time since the house was constructed 126 years ago.

And its not just any roof. The mansion, which houses the Howard County Museum, will be outfitted with more than 14,600 slate tiles, just like the ones originally used when the house was built.

Last week, crews arrived to begin setting up the specialty scaffolding that now surrounds the entire 65,660-square-foot building. Frankfort-based Hinshaw Roofing & Sheet Metal Co. is set to start pulling off the old tiles and putting the new ones on next week.

Howard County Historical Society Executive Director Dave Broman watched Tuesday as workers put some of the final touches on the scaffolding in preparation for the two truckloads of slate tiles that should be arriving sometime this week after being mined from a quarry in Canada.

Im pleased to say that once this is done, I should never have to worry about this again in my lifetime, he said with a laugh.

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. The current roof is 126 years old and is causing leaks and damage to some of the interior of the Seiberling Mansion. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Thats because slate roofing is far more durable than the asphalt roofing used on most houses today. But after all this time, the Seiberlings roof had finally started to seriously falter and pose a major threat to the buildings interior.

A recent assessmentby the preservation experts at RATIO Architects called the status of the roof a crisis. Cracks in ridges, floorboards and window sills all caused by water leakage from the deteriorating roof are readily apparent, and have threatened portions of each floor in the mansion.

Trickling, and in some cases flowing, water has also damaged irreplaceable artifacts like an original Elwood Haynes sleigh and a decades-old 55-gallon iron lung used by a Kokomo woman suffering from polio, along with various paintings.

126 years on a roof is great, Broman said. We got our moneys worth, but its time to move on.

Thats exactly what the historical society is doing after raising around $560,000 to pay for the repairs, making it one of the most expensive upgrade projects ever undertaken at the mansion.

Construction crews finish up the scaffolding as the Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

When you have an old building, its just the way it is, Broman said. Its the price you pay for preserving the building, and somewhere along the way you make a choice of whether its worth it. And in this case, theres no question that its worth it.

Large donations to the project came from the Howard County Council and Board of Commissioners; the Community Foundation of Howard County; the Indiana Historical Society; and numerous multi-thousand-dollar grants from various community members.

One of the largest private donations came from James Long, a longtime supporter of the historical society, who committed $100,000 in March to the Seiberling campaign.

Its a great thing that the community stepped up on this, Broman said. This project is going to preserve a really important artifact for this community for a long time to come.

That preservation will start on the acorn dome on the mansions south side. Broman said crews will begin placing slate tiles there first, since its the highest point of the building and will be by far the hardest part of the project.

The Seiberling Mansion 126-year-old slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

He said the roofing company is bringing in one of its most experienced people out of retirement to complete the dome, which requires every piece of slate to be shaped by hand and custom fitted around the edifice. The dome alone could take up to a month to finish.

There are a few people around who do this, but this isnt like laying asphalt shingles, Broman said. Its an entirely different thing. But one of the neat things about this is the technique for doing slate hasnt changed. Its basically the same thing they did over 100 years ago when they built this house."

After the dome is covered, crews will begin installing tiles on the rest of the roof, which have all been measured and pre-cut before arriving at the mansion.

Broman said the whole project should be finished by October.

Although the money raised so far is more than enough to pay for the estimated $438,000 roof repair, how much the project ultimately ends up costing is yet to be determined. Thats because the true extent of the damage beneath the slate is unknown until crews start pulling off the tiles next week.

Thats the scary part, Broman said. You dont know what youre going to find. When you start finding damage, your costs go up, so hopefully they dont find a lot.

Looking at the west side of the Seiberling Mansion on August 29, 2017. The scaffolding surrounds the entire structure so construction crews will be able to replace the 126-year-old slate roof. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

One thing is certain, though. Installing a slate roof will end up costing much less than putting on a more modern, asphalt roof. Although it may be slightly cheaper up front, it would end up costing way more in the long run, Broman said.

We can do this now, and it will be good for 150 year, or we could put on five asphalt roofs in that same period, and pay a huge amount of money every time which just crazy, he said. This sounds like a lot of money, but this is really pretty cheap.

And then theres the fact that a slate roof is historically accurate. Not only does it keep the historical integrity of the mansion, but it also ensures the Seiberling will stay on National Register of Historic Places.

Broman said its exciting to finally see the project get underway, but having crews on site comes with a mixed bag of emotions, considering the amount of damage beneath the roof is still unknown.

How does it feel? Ask me when its done, he said. But really, right now, its just amazement and elation that weve gotten to this point. But once its all said and done, Ill breathe a big sigh of relief. After that, we can get back to museum business.

Anyone wanting to donate to the Seiberling's ongoing fundraising campaign can visit http://hchistory.networkforgood.com.People can also contact the historical society at 765-452-4314,info@howardcountymuseum.orgor by visiting 1218 W. Sycamore St. in Kokomo.

Construction crews work Tuesday on finishing the scaffolding, the first step in replacing the 126-year-old slate roof on the Seiberling Mansion. The estimated $438,000 repair could cost more, depending on what is found when crews start pulling off tiles next week.

Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. The current roof is 126 years old and is causing leaks and damage to some of the interior of the Seiberling Mansion. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion 126-year-old slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Construction crews finish up the scaffolding as the Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Old slate and support poles line the back porch of the The Seiberling Mansion as the historic Kokomo attraction's slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Looking at the west side of the Seiberling Mansion on August 29, 2017. The scaffolding surrounds the entire structure so construction crews will be able to replace the 126-year-old slate roof. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Rotting wood and chipped paint on the exterior of the Seiberling Mansion will be repaired along with a replacement of the 126-year-old roof. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Construction crews work Tuesday on finishing the scaffolding, the first step in replacing the 126-year-old slate roof on the Seiberling Mansion. The estimated $438,000 repair could cost more, depending on what is found when crews start pulling off tiles next week.

Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. The current roof is 126 years old and is causing leaks and damage to some of the interior of the Seiberling Mansion. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion 126-year-old slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Construction crews finish up the scaffolding as the Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Old slate and support poles line the back porch of the The Seiberling Mansion as the historic Kokomo attraction's slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Looking at the west side of the Seiberling Mansion on August 29, 2017. The scaffolding surrounds the entire structure so construction crews will be able to replace the 126-year-old slate roof. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

Rotting wood and chipped paint on the exterior of the Seiberling Mansion will be repaired along with a replacement of the 126-year-old roof. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

The Seiberling Mansion slate roof replacement project gets underway on August 29, 2017. Kelly Lafferty Gerber | Kokomo Tribune

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Work underway to replace Seiberling Mansion's 126-year-old roof - Kokomo Tribune