Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Approves New Slate Roof for Island Chapel
At the urging of the Conservancy, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) approved a new slate roof for the 1888 Chapel of the Good Shepherd. The new slate will restore the original appearance of the landmark’s massive roofs.
The Chapel is a Victorian-Gothic style landmark designed by Frederick Clark Withers. It features a steeply-pitched main roof as well as a semi-circular roof over the rear apse. It is one of six individual landmarks on Roosevelt Island and is the focal point of a spacious paved plaza on Main Street. In addition to Episcopal and Catholic religious services, the chapel is also used as a community center and a venue for RIOC’s board meetings, which are open to the public. The Conservancy’s Technical Services Department has been advising RIOC on preservation matters for several years, consulting on the stabilization of the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, the restoration of Blackwell House, and now the Chapel.
One of the first questions when considering a new slate roof was whether the chapel’s roof structure could support the additional weight. Although the roof was originally clad in slate it was not known if subsequent alterations, specifically the installation of air conditioning ducts in the 1970’s had cut through any of the beams. The first step was to have an engineer inspect the difficult to reach roof structure above the chapel’s ceiling. That inspection ascertained that the beams are intact and capable of supporting the slate. The next challenge was to convince the RIOC to approve the additional expense of a slate roof versus a standard asphaltic roof. Slate will last a lifetime while asphalt will require frequent reroofing especially given the winds and microclimate on the Island. After lengthy discussion, the officers of RIOC agreed to approve the new slate roof.
Now we are working with the project architect Thomas A. Feniman as well as the Roosevelt Island Historical Society to select the specific slate type to be used. Several samples have been ordered and the selection will occur as soon as they can be set up in the field.
