St. Andrew’s New Slate Roof

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Denver is affectionately called by its parishioners "the most patient building." Designed by Ralph Adams Cram and built in 1908, the church has weathered ups and downs in the size of its congregation, the size of its budget, a fire, a flood, and the general wear and tear that comes with having stood for almost a century. Having completed a historical assessment of their building’s condition, the congregation was aware that water was entering the structure, and protective measures were prioritized with a new roof placed first on the to-do list. Originally, St. Andrew’s was roofed with Vermont slate, but nearly 20 years ago, it had been replaced with a composite shingle roof. As the composite roof neared the end of its lifespan, the decision was made to "do it right this time" and use the material the architect had intended for the building. With Historic Denver’s assistance, St. Andrew’s applied for and was awarded a State Historical Fund grant in March 2004. Barely a year after St. Andrew’s celebrated its grant, the nave and side aisles of the church are resplendent, once again, in Vermont Non-fading Green slate. "One of the most exciting things about St. Andrew’s today is the number of young families and children who are part of our community," says Betty Luce, chair of St. Andrew’s Building Committee. "To think that we can bequeath our youngest members a roof that no one will have to worry about for years and years to come is wonderful." "It’s been a big commitment," she continues, "but we were assisted at every step along the way by so many people and organizations, including Sacred Landmarks Preservation, the Landmark Planning Commission, and the Colorado Historical Society, that we never felt we were shouldering this project alone." St. Andrew’s roofing contractor is Custom Tile Roofing, a Coloradobased company. Specializing in the repair and restoration of historic and obsolete clay and concrete tile roofs, they have the knowledge and the inventory required to match almost any old clay or concrete roofing tile. Company principal Vince Hobson is the author, with Melvin Mann, of Historic and Obsolete Roofing Tile, Preserving the History of Roofing Tiles. Hobson explains, "Master craftsmen created masterpieces with slate as the roof material. In the recent past the slate has been torn off because many people do not realize the value of the material or how to maintain it. Good slate will last centuries, but it does require maintenance, the knowledge of which has been forgotten which leads to its deterioration. St. Andrew’s will now have a roof that will last 100 years or more. It is nice to see this effort to restore the architectural integrity to the building as it was designed." During the reroofing, protection for the organ and the altar was installed by Bite the Dust, Inc., which specializes in construction and remodeling preparation. Ethan Anthony, principal of HDB/Cram and Ferguson Inc.– successor to the Ralph Adams Cram firm – provided architectural oversight for the project.

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