“We found a few places where the roof shingles east of the chimneys were raised as if to allow water to drain, which we hadn’t seen before,” said project manager Amy Moses. “We also found obvious notches in the roof shingles that likely show the locations of the sills (sill boards lie directly on a serrated roof to provide a flat surface for the roofing) for the roofing above. This is the first time we’ve had several of these that were very clearly marked.”
Derryberry, who has worked at the university for about 13 years, said he was impressed by the original work of the artisans.
“It’s interesting to see the original fabric and Jefferson’s original design,” he said. “You have to be a little delicate so as not to damage the historic pieces. Fortunately, we have a skilled carpentry crew who work diligently even in the hot temperatures.”
As part of the project, workers are also replacing the Chinese rails that frame the roofs. According to the 2007 Chinese rail study prepared for the university by Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects of Albany, New York and Williamsburg, Jefferson planned to install Chinese rails over the student rooms, with alternating field patterns and positioned to harmonize with other architectural features.
“The actual pattern of the grid within the Chinese rails must be deduced from an interpretation of historical drawings and Jefferson’s notes,” the Chinese rail investigation report states. “The only drawing in Jefferson’s hand showing a view of the Chinese rails over the student rooms is his drawing for the Albemarle Academy (August 1814), which shows a simple grid pattern between the rails. This pattern is the same within each panel, but the pattern alternates by placing a counter-rotating grid on every other panel.”
