From the City of Lynchburg: Point of Honor, one of Lynchburg’s most historic homes, has a new roof. Built in 1815 by Dr. George Cabell, Point of Honor’s original roof was made of wood shingles known as shakes. In 1991, shakes made of white oak were installed but had begun to fail in recent years. The potential for serious and expensive damage required a new roof which was completed on March 13. Century Slate, Inc. of Raleigh, NC won the bid for the project to replace the roof on both the main house and hearth kitchen. Architectural Partners of Lynchburg provided the design and construction administration for the project. Several types of wood shakes were investigated and yellow cedar was selected as the material that would provide the longest life, expected to be 20-30 years. Gutters and flashing were also replaced using lead coated copper products.
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Work began in fall of 2014 but winter weather made it difficult with a stop and start process. However, the home remained open to visitors during the entire project. Museum Director Doug Harvey noted, “Point of Honor’s 1991 roof had started to fail. With the beautifully restored interiors and historic furnishings, leaks would have been disastrous, so we are thrilled that the home has a new roof for its 200th birthday that will protect it for many years to come.”
Point of Honor is operated by the Lynchburg Museum System and is open seven days per week, with guided tours, gift shop, and special events throughout the years. For more information, call 455-6226, or visit www.lynchburgmuseum.org, www.pointofhonor.org, the Museum’s Facebook page, or Twitter/LburgMuse.