Roman House Showing Its Age, Receives TLC From Public Buildings Department

WILMINGTON, MA — The Roman House, the headquarters of the school district’s administration, continues to show its age. The historic structure, built in 1900, recently required some significant repairs from the town’s Public Buildings Department.

A section of the roof was replaced last week.

“The shingles on this section in some areas were missing, starting to come lose, and falling apart, allowing water into the structure,” explained Superintendent of Public Buildings George Hooper. “Approximately 24 square feet of shingles were replaced.”

“The Public Buildings Department has been continually monitoring this roof for some time knowing that eventually the roof or building would be replaced,” continued Hooper. “After a few high wind storms and rain events over this past season, it was determined that this section of roof would not survive the upcoming winter and should be replaced.”

The project cost $24,870, which will come out of the Public Building Department’s roof repair account within its annual operating budget.

Additional work was done to the Victorian-era building, situated in front of Wilmington High School, this week.

“There was also a section of the side entrance that deteriorated and needed to be replaced to maintain its integrity and to keep moisture out,” added Hooper.

No additional work, other than routine maintenance, is planned at this time.

When asked about the long-term future of the Roman House, Hooper is understandably more concerned about building’s current state.

“The reality is that the Roman House, for now, serves as a functioning office area and its occupants need to be protected from any elements. That is the responsibility of this department,” responded Hooper. “The Facility Master Plan identifies a need for a new School Administration Office as well as a Town Hall. When these plans move forward, the future of these buildings will be determined by the residents of Wilmington.”

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