A historic Pembroke building is getting a new roof next week, thanks to time and materials donated by a local lumber supplier and volunteers.
The former Buck Street schoolhouse, built in the early 1800s and recently moved to behind town hall, is now headquarters to the Pembroke Historical Society, containing memorabilia documenting the town’s history.
The shingles on its roof, however, are becoming a bit too historical themselves. They’re visibly deteriorating, especially on the side that faces away from the parking lot.
The historical society’s newest member, Ayn Whytemare, said she’d been thinking since she joined a year ago about how the society could tackle the problem with its miniscule budget.
“We just didn’t have the resources to do anything about it. What were we going to do if you have $500 and it costs $5,000? How it it going to work?” she said.
That’s when she contacted with Pembroke’s A&B Lumber, thinking maybe she could get the local business to donate some shingles, she said.
What she found far exceeded her expectations. The lumber supplier, since being purchased by building supplier Belletetes last year, is participating in a program called We Build It Forward, in which it leads the charge – along with help from volunteers and sponsors – to tackle a one-day project in the community.
Whytemare said she applied and the project was accepted.
“This is a complete godsend to us,” she said.
The construction is scheduled to begin between 8 and 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 11.
A coordinator for A&B Lumber, Betsy Bryant, said it seemed like a “natural fit” for her company’s first go at the program. The project is manageable but also something that the town “desperately needs,” she said.
She said Tom Hebert, the Pembroke contractor volunteering his time on the project, knows the building and has experience working on roofs, so he’ll be a valuable resource.
Old buildings like the schoolhouse can be more of a challenge, she said, “because we’re really not sure what’s under there.”
“If all goes according to plan, we may go as far down as the rafters to make sure the plywood is strong,” she said.
Whytemare and Bryant each said they’re especially looking for volunteers who have experience in roofing to ensure the project is completed smoothly in the allotted time, although there will be jobs for others, as well.
Aspiring volunteers are asked to contact Bryant at 224-7483 or bbryant@belletetes.com. They’ll need to sign a release and waiver at the construction site.
After the roof is complete, Whytemare said she hopes to begin organizing the documents inside and preparing the building to be opened to the public periodically for tours.
(Nick Reid can be reached at 369-3325, nreid@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @NickBReid.)