Tower Grove Park West Gatehouse
St. Louis, MOThe West Gatehouse was completed in 1870 and enlarged in 1880. The 950 square foot building was designed by the Tower Grove Park Supervisory Architect – Francis Tunica in the Gothic Revival style and marks one of the four primary entrances into the park.
Work Included
- Removal and replacement of the slate roof using new S1 Vermont purple roofing slates and Green slate for the creation of the TGP lettering on the roof surfaces.
- Removal and reinstallation of the existing copper louvered roof vent.
- Removal and replacement of the existing low sloped roofing system from the East elevation.
- Installation of new copper chimney flashings and counter flashings and new copper chimney caps to match the existing shape, size, and configurations.
- Installation of new copper flashings under each course of all closed valleys in accordance with NSA (National Slate Association) guidelines for slate roofing closed valley installation methods.
- Installation of new copper step flashings at each slate course along wall to roof transitions.
- Installation of new copper flashings along parapet walls.
- Installation of new copper pocket flashing along the northwest valley to parapet transition.
- Installation of new copper gutter apron along all eaves to receive new guttering.
- Fabrication and installation of new copper ridge caps anchored using non-corrosive fasteners.
- Fabrication and installation of a new 6” half round copper guttering system complete with, fully soldered, copper outlets, endcaps, and downspouts.
- Fabrication and installation of new copper flashings around 4 sides of the octagonal shaped obelisk located on the southwest corner of the south hip roof.
THE CHALLENGE
As a National Historic Landmark, this project adhered to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Renaissance Roofing arose to the challenge.
The project included a complete replacement of the slate roof, some of which was original to 1870. To re-roof the structure significant research was conducted on the original slate materials and color with Renaissance leading the effort. Slate selections were made to match the original Vermont Clear Purple with Vermont Unfading Green.
Once the slate materials and colors were identified, Renaissance helped adapt additional historic details to modern local code requirements. Despite the early successes, the workmanship really came to life during construction and installation of the new roof system.
THE RENAISSANCE SOLUTION
Renaissance took care to account for overall final appearance when selecting and installing individual tiles leaving a uniform and desirable look. The architectural sheet metal workers installed precise flashing details and solder joints where those were required. All flashings, gutters, and downspouts were replaced with heavy gauge copper created and installed to the highest quality.
The “TGP” initials for Tower Grove Park that originally adorned the roof of the two-story structure along with decorative horizontal top and bottom borders were recreated and is perhaps the most striking feature of the building.Every member of the team displayed a high level of craftsmanship and took pride in their work.
THE RESULTS
Renaissance was honored to restore this magnificent structure within the Tower Grove Park complex. This unique roof presented several challenges along the way, and repairing years of rot and sagging along the eaves corrected many long-term issues with drainage that had affected the building. The fully restored roof system is a premier example of top-quality craftsmanship and our dedication to excellence.
Renaissance was named a finalist for the Roofing Alliance 2024 Gold Circle Award for its work on this project.
