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Private Final Club - Est. 1850sA Harvard
A Harvard
Landmark,
Quietly
Restored
One of Harvard's oldest final clubs needed its aging roof rebuilt without losing a single period detail. Crown replaced the EPDM membrane, refabricated the copper, and ran a full masonry restoration while the club stayed open.
- Location
- Harvard Square, Cambridge
- Building
- Private final club, est. 1850s
- Scope
- EPDM replacement, copper, masonry
- Constraint
- Phased to keep the club open
The ChallengeOld roof, no
Old roof, no
margin
for error.
A prominent building in constant use, held to Harvard's architectural standards and the local historic commission. The roof was past its service life, but nothing could read as new.
Starting conditions
The existing EPDM had aged out and the copper details around it had failed, but the Spee Club could not be shut down for a re-roof. Every phase had to work around members and events.
Because the building is a Cambridge landmark, the finished roof and masonry had to blend seamlessly with the historic structure - down to the profile of each copper flashing and masonry detail.
The ApproachHow Crown
How Crown
built it.
Documented, sequenced, and largely self-performed. Here is how the work came together on site.
- 01
Document and plan
We recorded existing conditions, coordinated with the club's stakeholders, Harvard's standards, and the historic commission, then phased the schedule around club operations.
- 02
Replace the membrane
The failed EPDM field was torn off and rebuilt, with upgraded insulation, waterproofing, and ventilation kept invisible beneath the original silhouette.
- 03
Fabricate the copper
Our in-house coppersmiths formed custom flashings and ornamental details, shaped and soldered on site for an exact, period-correct fit.
- 04
Restore the masonry
The upper masonry was restored alongside the roof, so the brick, metal, and membrane all tied together watertight.
The ResultBuilt new,
Built new,
reads
untouched.
The Spee Club roof and masonry perform to modern standards and read exactly as they should: historic from the street, rebuilt underneath.
1850sBuilding era preserved
In-houseCopper fabrication
ZeroDays of club downtime
- Aging EPDM replaced; insulation, waterproofing, and ventilation upgraded out of sight.
- Custom copper flashings and ornament refabricated to the original profiles.
- Upper masonry restored in the same campaign, tied watertight to the new roof.
- Phased schedule kept the club open with zero disruption.
Slate and copper, done right.
Restoration is Crown's craft. If your building carries a historic slate or copper roof, see how we keep it watertight for another century.
Free EstimateHave a roof
Have a roof
like this?
Tell us about your building and what it needs. We will schedule a no-obligation assessment and walk you through what restoration or replacement actually involves - with no pressure to over-build.