Roof Replacement in Longmeadow, MA

The Longmeadow Historic District

The town green and the homes around it received local historic district protection in 1973 and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Settlers began cultivating the green in 1703, and the Simon Colton House on Longmeadow Street, built in 1735, is considered perhaps the oldest surviving house in town. A separate National Register district covers the northern stretch of Longmeadow Street.

If your home is inside the local historic district, check with the town's historic district commission before changing roofing material or appearance. Like-for-like replacement is usually simpler than a change in material, color or profile.

Streetcar-era homes and Colonial Revivals

A streetcar line reached Longmeadow Street in 1896 and helped turn the town into a residential suburb of Springfield. Many homes from that era and the decades after are Colonial Revivals and other period styles with steep roofs, dormers and chimneys, so the roof is a big part of how the house looks from the street. Ask to see shingle samples outdoors next to your siding and trim.

Living under a mature canopy

Residents have worked to keep Longmeadow Street tree-lined since the 1870s, and the canopy is a big part of the town's character. Big trees also mean leaves in valleys and gutters, shaded slopes that dry slowly, and limbs that can come down in a storm. Trimming before a replacement protects the new roof.

Permits in Longmeadow

Longmeadow's building department handles reroof permits, and your contractor typically applies. Historic district approval, where it applies, is a separate step, so start it early.