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Preservation spotlight: Ward Hamilton
Ward Hamilton of Olde Mohawk Historic Preservation brings a preservation specialist’s perspective to the care of older buildings. Based in Melrose, Massachusetts, his work spans Boston, New York and New England. Olde Mohawk’s biography describes experience consulting and contracting on more than one thousand buildings, many listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hamilton holds a master’s degree in historic preservation and has contributed to Traditional Building, Roofing and Traditional Roofing. His work is a useful starting point for owners who want to retain a building’s historic materials and character.
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What Olde Mohawk’s guidance teaches
Olde Mohawk’s published primer, Slate Roofs: A Primer on their Repair and Restoration, distinguishes the condition of the stone from the condition of the roof’s metalwork. Flashings and built-in gutter linings can deteriorate while surrounding slate remains serviceable. Where the slate is sound, selective removal can allow metal repairs before the slate is reinstated. Isolated broken or missing pieces also warrant a repair assessment rather than an automatic replacement recommendation. The primer emphasizes identifying the slate and choosing contractors with genuine restoration experience.
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Avoid repairs that compromise the roof
Olde Mohawk cautions against coating slate with tar, exposed face-nailing and poorly matched replacement pieces. Its primer describes nail-and-bib and slate-hook repairs. Ask your slater to explain the proposed method and how the work will preserve the roof’s appearance and future repairability. Read the original primer through the link below for the full discussion.
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When replacement deserves consideration
Preservation does not mean keeping every slate at any cost. National Park Service guidance calls for assessing each roof individually: the slate’s remaining service life, extent of damage, fasteners, flashings and underlying wood all matter. Widespread deterioration may make replacement appropriate, while damage concentrated on one slope may permit a phased approach. Sound slate can sometimes be salvaged where failed fixings are the main problem. A specialist’s documented assessment should establish which situation applies to your building.
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Get an assessment you can act on
Ask for photographs, a marked roof plan and a written explanation of the leak sources. Have the contractor distinguish urgent repairs from longer-term maintenance and identify which slopes or details need attention. Request comparable scopes for repair and replacement when both are realistic, including access, metalwork and matching slate. For a historic property, confirm any local preservation review requirements before authorizing changes. Keep the report with your maintenance records so future decisions build on evidence.
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Explore Ward’s work and the original sources
Start with Olde Mohawk’s slate roof primer and Ward Hamilton’s professional biography, linked below. For project-specific advice, contact Olde Mohawk through its website or use our directory to find a slate specialist in your region. This feature was written by Slate Roofing USA using published sources; it is not an interview or an article authored by Ward Hamilton.