Roof Lines, Part 1

Constellation St.

Welcome to the SPI History Channel. I had wanted to call the blog "The Hysterical Society" but better judgment prevailed. Basically, I volunteered to shoot some pictures of the older structures on the Island for JoAnn Evans and the Island Historical Committee. I was worried because some bad weather was coming in and a huge fog bank was roiling right off the beach ... but for an amateur, not bad pictures today. I hope you enjoy these pages as they grow.

If you have any pictures of historical significance by all means feel free to share them here. By no means is this a comprehensive study, although with small steps maybe a larger picture will emerge.

Today's photo essay starts at the northern end of the Island. Most of the structures I shot were "Tiki" or Polynesian-inspired designs, all beach houses, with a few 1970 flat-tops thrown in the mix. I found a dozen in about an hour before the light failed. When the sunlight comes back and I have another hour, I'll update things with a Part 2. If there's anything to say I'll put it under the picture as a caption, just so we don't get lost here.

Old flat-top on Constellation, typical of beach houses

Georgia Ruth, note the muted wood tones and bright trim color

Capricorn St. The "swoop" or pitch of the peak and roof edges can vary greatly, and is a lost art in roofing which is why so few remain - nobody really knows how to rebuild them.

A neighbor on Capricorn St. The last house was a simple pitched roof but this one is a hip roof with a 'widow's peak" at either end. I am not sure why these peaks were built, as they serve no function for attic air circulation. One thought is that the wind deflection from these designs made them withstand the hurricane winds better.

Gulf by Venus St. The lift on the roof overhang is pretty impressive.

Saturn St. This one has had the roof redone, maybe with polyurethane or something. It is one of the larger Tiki structures on the Island.

This architecture is a little difficult to place, although it certainly has some Polynesian or Hawaiin influences. Huisache St.

Many of the old beach houses had names such as the 'Blue Parrot' here. Lantana St.

One of the cutest houses is located off Retama. The curved wood must be cut specially with a jigsaw - no straight lines used on this house!

This one has had the benefit of concrete and plaster downstairs, since all when originally built were open on the ground floor. Hibiscus St.

Hey isn't that my 1970 beach house?