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
