Photo courtesy of Tibbits Opera House, Coldwater, Mich.
Photo courtesy of Braman Roofing Co., Hillsdale, Mich.
Photo courtesy of Braman Roofing Co., Hillsdale, Mich.
In the early 1880s, Barton S. Tibbits financed the construction of Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, Mich. The theater held its first performance Sept. 21, 1882, and quickly became a popular venue for traveling performers.
Tibbits Opera House changed owners numerous times during the next several decades and hosted various events. In addition to theatrical performances, the opera house hosted wrestling and boxing matches, marionette shows, local talent shows, camel rides, a circus side show and Vaudeville acts. The theater began showing movies in 1919, and in 1934, the opera house was modernized into a movie theater. The building became vacant in 1954.
In the late 1950s, local thespians collected donations and began cleaning the old theater, and, eventually, the theater again began hosting performances. The Tibbits Opera Foundation was organized in 1963, and, with community support, the opera house underwent some renovations.
The theater continues to be a busy venue for children's theater, concerts, community theater, recitals and professional productions.
As one of Michigan's oldest operating theaters and the second oldest Michigan theater still at its original location, age has taken a toll on the building. About 10 years ago, the Tibbits Opera Foundation decided to completely renovate and restore the building.
Ongoing restorations
The theater is being restored in phases. The first and second phases are complete and included demolition of an adjacent building; removal of hazardous materials from inside the theater; boiler repair; improvement of emergency exits; and installation of an elevator, barrier-free entrance and barrier-free restroom. The goal of the restoration's third phase is to restore the building's façade to its original French Second Empire design.
Tibbits Opera House's original ornamentation, including its original cupola, was removed in the 1930s and covered with an Art Deco façade. During the 1960s, the foundation removed the Art Deco façade and discovered the brick underneath was severely damaged. However, the foundation lacked the funds needed to restore the building's original façade, and a temporary façade was installed instead.
In November 2008, Tibbits Opera House was awarded a $500,000 Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Program grant, as well as a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, to help fund the façade's restoration.
"We looked at what piece of the façade could be restored as a standalone project," says Christine Delaney, Tibbits Opera House's executive director. "The cupola was it."
To construct a new cupola, Tibbits Opera House retained Foulke Construction Co., Hillsdale, Mich. During the end of January and beginning of February, the company built the cupola on the ground next to the theater. When the structure and roof deck were complete, Foulke Construction retained Braman Roofing Co., Hillsdale, to install the cupola's shingle roof system.
An important pattern
Tibbits Opera House had some specific requirements for the cupola's roof, namely that the shingles be arranged in an "S" pattern in the center of the roof's front façade.
"It stands for Smith, Barton Tibbits' middle name," says Delaney.
A Braman Roofing crew of three began the shingle installation on the cupola in mid-February.
"We set up a scaffold around the cupola," says Jim Braman, Braman Roofing's president. "It was unique in that our men were able to work so close to the ground for a change."
The deck consisted of two layers of 3/8-inch-thick plywood. The plywood's thinness allowed it to form to the curve of the cupola. The crew installed CertainTeed WinterGuard™ underlayment over the deck except at the cupola's low-slope top portion, where a Firestone Building Products RubberGard EPDM membrane was installed.
Next, the crew installed about 15 squares of CertainTeed Carriage House™ shingles with the background in Stonegate Gray and the "S" design and other patterns in Black Pearl.
"It took some work to get the pattern right," Braman says. "The first time it was laid out, it just looked odd. Something didn't look right. So the crew ended up using an aerial man-lift to access and tear off the shingles forming the "S" and rework the design after the cupola was installed."
Rooftop installation
The new cupola was raised and installed on Tibbits Opera House Feb. 13.
Originally, Foulke Construction had planned to raise the 23,000-pound cupola with a 180-ton crane. However, because of unexpected warm weather and frost laws that protect roads from freeze-thaw cycles, Michigan imposed weight restrictions for commercial truck traffic on state roadways.
To comply with the weight restrictions, Foulke Construction brought in a smaller crane and raised the cupola in three segments. First, the steel support beams were raised and installed, followed by a smaller steel frame that rests on top of the support beams. Next, the cupola was raised and installed.
"Foulke Construction did a test lift of the cupola that morning and realized the smaller crane was putting some stress on the cupola," Delaney says. "They brought in reinforcements to be used within the cupola for the actual lift to lessen the stress on certain areas."
All Foulke Construction workers wore safety harnesses during the cupola's installation. Those working from the aerial platform were tied-off to the platform, and those working on the roof were tied-off to a cable that was strung from parapet to parapet with retractable lanyards.
Lastly, Foulke Construction installed a flagpole at the top of the cupola with a Fypon urethane cornice around the flagpole.
Past and present
Braman Roofing finished reworking the "S" shingle design in mid-February, and Tibbits Opera Foundation members are pleased with the cupola's finished appearance and the attention it has garnered in the community. Braman also is pleased with his company's work and enjoyed being part of the project.
"We appreciate being able to work on a local project for the restoration of a beautiful building with such a rich history," he says.
Ashley St. John is Professional Roofing's associate editor.
Project name: Tibbits Opera House
Project location: Coldwater, Mich.
Project duration: January 2009-February 2009
Roof system types: Single-ply and asphalt shingle
Roofing contractor: Braman Roofing Co., Hillsdale, Mich.
Roofing materials manufacturers: CertainTeed Corp., Valley Forge, Pa., and Firestone Building Products Co. LLC, Indianapolis
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment. Please log in to leave a comment.