Wood shingle roofs designed
to emulate the straw
thatched roof so popular on the
English countryside are almost as rare
as the originals.
But in the early part of the century,
when Anglophilia was in style, several
of these roofs were built in the
United States, including those on an
estate in Convent Station, N.J. After
almost a hundred years, however,
these wooden simulations of thatched
roofs are ready for replacement. Finding
a contractor who can handle the
extra-thick reveals at the eaves, irregular
courses, and perhaps the trickiest
feature, the curved corners at the
gable ends, can be like searching for a
needle in a haystack.
Edwin Peters, owner of E.J. Peters
Company in Boonton, N.J., noted
that by the