Historic Metal Slate Roofing in Gloucester, MA

The 1750 Samuel Gilbert House in Gloucester, MA — a 275-year-old colonial landmark — was preserved with a Black Interlock Metal Slate roof in 2012. It delivers the authentic look of natural slate without the crushing weight, won't crack or split, withstands New England's coastal weather, and carries a 50-year transferable warranty.

Putting a new roof on a 275-year-old house is a delicate act of stewardship — the roof has to honor the home's history while finally outlasting it.

Built in 1750, the Samuel Gilbert House at 1 Western Avenue in Gloucester, Massachusetts is a proud landmark of colonial American history. Preserving a home of that age means respecting its architecture while protecting it against centuries more of harsh New England weather. The owners found their answer in Interlock Metal Slate, one of several historically inspired metal roofing styles built to match a home's original character.

## Over 275 Years of Architectural Heritage The Samuel Gilbert House was built in 1750 by Nathaniel Ellery, and at 6,171 square feet it remains a substantial and well-preserved example of colonial New England architecture. Standing at 1 Western Avenue in Gloucester — one of America's oldest seaports — the home has weathered more than two and a half centuries of coastal climate.

## The Gilbert Family Legacy The home carries the name of the Gilbert family, woven into Gloucester's civic history. The family's legacy includes Addison Gilbert, whose $100,000 gift funded the Addison Gilbert Hospital that still serves the community today.

## Why Interlock Metal Slate Was Chosen Natural slate is the traditional roof for a home of this stature, but it comes with a serious problem: weight. Real slate is heavy enough to require structural reinforcement, a costly and invasive intervention on a 275-year-old frame. Interlock Metal Slate solves that — its aluminum panels reproduce the dimensional, layered look of quarried slate convincingly, but at a tiny fraction of the weight.

## Black Metal Slate: History's Look, Aluminum's Performance In 2012, the home was fitted with a Black Interlock Metal Slate roof — a finish that reads as authentic dark slate from the street while delivering thoroughly modern performance underneath. Because it's aircraft-grade aluminum under the Alunar® coating, it won't crack, split, or shed pieces the way natural slate does, and it won't rot or rust.

## Engineered for New England Weather Gloucester sits right on the Atlantic, which means the roof faces salt air, nor'easters, heavy snow, and relentless freeze-thaw cycles. Aluminum is ideal for it: it doesn't corrode in salt air the way steel does, and its smooth, interlocking surface sheds snow and resists ice dams. Coastal salt exposure is exactly why an aluminum roof is often the best choice for homes near the ocean, whether the home is a historic landmark or a modern build. With UL 2218 Class 4 impact resistance and high-velocity wind testing behind it — the same testing standard behind Interlock's selection for an NSF research station in Antarctica — it's built for exactly this coast.

## A Transferable Warranty for a Generational Home Fittingly for a house meant to stand for centuries more, the Interlock roof is backed by a 50-year transferable warranty — coverage that passes to the next steward of the home. If you own a historic or character home and want a roof that honors it, request a free quote.