The Tennessee Williams Childhood Home Welcome Center in Columbus, Miss., celebrates the life and work of the 20th century’s premier playwright-Tennessee Williams. Born in Columbus on March 26, 1911, Williams achieved his place in history with “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Rose Tattoo” and many other literary works of art.
In 2010, the Columbus Heritage Foundation embarked on a stabilization project for the home. Because of water damage, the house’s foundation had shifted and deteriorated. In addition, the group decided to reroof the house. Nancy Carpenter, director for the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the design goal was to keep the 1875 home as historically accurate as possible. The project had to meet stringent guidelines set forth by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Within its long history, the home had a variety of roof systems. The original roof was terracotta tiles, and the foundation wanted to somehow revive that first tile look but with an updated material and more architectural appeal. The foundation along with the designer-Columbus- based Pryor and Morrow Architects-selected a tile roof that adds an aesthetic twist while providing superior durability, weathertightness, longevity and energy efficiency when compared to other roofing materials.
The roof is 37,740 square feet of 0.032-inch aluminum CastleTop
(HCT160) tiles in a Mission Red finish from Allentown, Pa.-based ATAS International Inc. The roof was installed by Rick Williams Construction Co., Columbus, and the distributor was ABC Supply Co., Birmingham, Ala.
Carpenter notes: “The metal roof adds a great deal of life to the building. The look is perfect.”
ATAS International Inc., www.atas.com
