Sagging badly from years of neglect, bad weather and deterioration, the Martin House roof became the first repair and restoration project undertaken by the Martin House Restoration Corporation.
The eaves were jacked up gradually - about a quarter-turn per week - until the roofline came back up to the horizontal line where it belonged.
Original timber beams that had rotted were "sistered" with new beams laid alongside them.
Any of the steel I-beams that had originally supported cantilevers in the house but had rusted from water damage were replaced with new steel beams. The living room skylight was also replaced and braced with new concrete supports.
Old lumber sheathing was re-used where possible, and new plywood sheathing replaced worn-out sections. Pieces of copper were placed over knotholes in the old wood.
A new, modern waterproof membrane was installed over the sheathing to prevent any further water leakage that could cause damage to the sheathing and beams.
The chimneys were repaired with bricks taken from the Barton House since a source for the unique bricks had not been located at that time.
Finally came the roof tiles. Frank Lloyd Wright had specified a terra cotta roof tile that is no longer manufactured in the United States. A worldwide search for a suitable tile ended in Pontigny, France, where a family-run company still fires tile in an ancient kiln dating from the Middle Ages. They were able to match the original roof tiles and now they complete the "new" roofs on both the Martin and the Barton Houses.
The restored roof of the Darwin D. Martin House.