Edgehill’s Roof

[ndembowski]

Community Board 8 recently issued a “Statement of Community District Needs and Community Board Budget Requests” for Fiscal Year 2026.  In the document, there is a request to assist the Kingsbridge Historical Society with funding to replace the roof at Edgehill, which is showing signs of failure.  I can’t say I know how that request ended up in the document but I very much appreciate the Community Board’s advocacy.

This week’s issue of the Riverdale Press features an article about the Community Board’s request with more information about the roof situation.  Once the digital version of the article is made available, we will post it here.  I sent in this follow-up to the article as a letter to the Editor:

Letter to the Editor of the Riverdale Press.

Thank you for covering Community Board 8’s request to assist the Kingsbridge Historical Society with restoring its landmark headquarters (“Historic Edgehill Church in Dire Need of Repairs.” in last week’s issue).

I am writing to add some extra context to the article. First, it is worth clarifying that the building is no longer a church (as of December of 2022 when it was acquired by the Kingsbridge Historical Society). We refer to it as “Edgehill” as the Kingsbridge Historical Society has no religious affiliation and all are welcome to our events.

The article also mentioned a grant program for capital projects administered by NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs. The reporter included that this agency did not receive grant applications from the Kingsbridge Historical Society for 2025 or 2026.  While we were not eligible to apply for the grant in 2025, we intend to apply for 2026 once the agency makes the application available. The Kingsbridge Historical Society has vigorously pursued grants since acquiring the building and we are grateful to have received grants and support from the New York City Council, the Department of Cultural Affairs of NYC, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Victorian Society New York. We have been fortunate to have the support of State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Councilmember Eric Dinowitz.

We will continue to pursue every avenue to preserve our beautiful historic building–even as we continue to run events, exhibits, and walking tours. We deeply appreciate the Community Board’s advocacy and the encouragement we have received from the community.

Regards,

Nick Dembowski

Kingsbridge Historical Society

Executive Director

 

[Thomas Casey]

Nick,   Many Thanks for that perfect response to the article.

Keep up the good work

Tom Casey

[ndembowski]

If you were unable to attend last week’s meeting about the Croton Aqueduct you didn’t hear our big news.  Please see this announcement that was sent out from NYS Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s office:

This $250,000 grant will cover the cost of replacing the roof and gutters at Edgehill and we could not be happier about it.  The roof situation was our biggest and most expensive problem and it now has a solution.  Please note that NYS capital construction funds often take more than a year to be dispersed so work will not begin imminently.  But we can all breath a sigh of relief and look forward to that day.  We are so appreciative that Assemblyman Dinowitz thought our group was worthy of this generous allocation.

We wish to thank all of you for your participation in the KHS.  New York State does not give out money to save historic buildings unless they are actively serving the community.  So, without your support and participation this would not be happening.

There is an article in this week’s Riverdale Press about the grant.  Once it is made available on their website I will post it here.

A view of Edgehill circa 1940

[jbakerjonathan]

Thank you, Nick, for your efforts.

The unique style and history of the building cries, demands a beautiful, substantial, long-lived roof. I’m suggesting the use of Engineered Slate (Synthetic Slate) as it has the appearance of natural slate with less weight and it is easier to install. It lasts up to 70 years and would be more aesthetically pleasing than the shorter-lived asphalt or asbestos shingles.

A cost comparison of shingle materials by Duck.ai reveals the following:

Material      Cost per Sq. Ft.      Labor Costs      Longevity in Years

Asphalt           $3-$5                       $2-$5                    15-30

Asbestos         $5-15                       $5-$10                  30-50

Engineered
Slate               $8-$20                     $5-$10                  40-70

Natural
Slate              $20-$35                   $10-$20                 75-200

Of course, budgetary constraints will prevail and restrict the choice.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. 8^)

Good Luck!!

[ndembowski]

Thanks Jonathan.  We are definitely are thinking about cost and durability.  But we are also limited by what the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will allow based on its status as an individual landmark.  Slate is beautiful and durable but it would be unlikely to get approved by the landmarks commission since the building never had slate historically.

[jbakerjonathan]

Hopefully, this won’t become an overwhelming endeavor in dealing with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and material selection for maintenance and longevity considerations and the selection of the installer, all while staying within budget. I was faced with similar decisions when I built my home in Mattituck and can appreciate the job ahead of you.
I looked up the original material used for the roof for Edgehill: wood shingles. Hopefully, the Commission won’t insist on that due to potential problems in later years. Good luck.

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