Transforming Tradition: Reviving the Old House with a New Roof

Before (left) and after (right).

GOSHEN, MA - In April of this year, the Williams-Boltwood House Trust (WBHT) was notified that we had received a $10,000 matching grant from the 1772 Foundation, working in partnership with Preservation Massachusetts to help replace our rusting and leaking corrugated metal roof. Only 15 grants of this kind were issued by this partnership throughout the state in 2025.

Looking down on the roof before and after installation.

Preservation Massachusetts is the statewide non-profit historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage, while the 1772 Foundation plays a leading role in promoting historic preservation nationwide.

WBHT used funds received from generous donors and proceeds from the many fundraising events held over the past few years to match the grant.

On Thursday, October 9, trucks from Pizha Brothers Construction out of Holyoke, MA rolled in with 8 workers who set about to remove both the corrugated metal and cedar shingle roofing. Once exposed, rotted roof decking was replaced with similar wide pine boards milled up for us by West Road Woodworks out of Ashfield, MA.

Over a period of three days, two dumpsters were filled with construction debris (mostly brittle wood shingles), but not before bundles of shingles from each section of the house were saved to help us with possible future dating of the material.

Other notable finds were the original forged nails that were used to secure the pine decking to the hand-hewn rafters, along with a brass belt-buckle lost long ago in the attic.