Roof and Rebirth: Prentiss Club construction continues
Published 12:04 am Thursday, February 14, 2019
Lindsey Odom works on constructing the new roof at he new roof at the Historic Prentiss Club building Wednesday after a fire from September 2018 burned through parts of the building. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
A new roof is in the process of being built on top of the Historic Prentiss Club building Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
What is left of the window frame and door way stands beneath the new roof being built at the Historic Prentiss Club building Wednesday after a fire from September 2018 burned through parts of the building. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
The view from the basement to the first floor where a fire had started and burned through the building in September 2018. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
The basement can be seen from a hole in the first floor Wednesday, after the fire from September 2018 burned through parts of the Historic Prentiss Club building. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
Wall decor that originally hung on the walls in the lower level ballroom sits on the floor while updates are being made at the Historic Prentiss Club Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
Shadows are cast on the floor from the beams outlining where the new roof will be at the Historic Prentiss Club building Wednesday after a fire from September 2018 burned through parts of the building. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
A stairway leading up to the scaffolding where a new roof is being built on top of the Historic Prentiss Club building Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
The view from the basement to the first floor where a fire had started and burned through the building in September 2018. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
Historic Natchez Director of Preservation Chase Klugh walks though the top floor of the Prentiss Club infront of the original plaster on the wall Wednesday after a fire from September 2018 burned through parts of the building. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
Half of the roof is covered during construction on the new roof at the Historic Prentiss Club building Wednesday after a fire from September 2018 burned through parts of the building. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)
NATCHEZ — Originally built between 1904 and 1905 and named after Seargent S. Prentiss the Historic Prentiss Club building has undergone many changes through the years.
The building first served as a Masonic Lodge and has been the location of a restaurant and at one point a personal residence.
The last change, the most severe, occurred Sept. 2 when fire damaged 40 to 50 percent of the building just as it was about to reopen after a renovation to transform it in to a venue location for galleries and weddings.
Never fear, however, the building is rising from the ashes of the fire that charred window frames and singed chandeliers and claimed the structure’s roof.
Work is progressing and the newly built rafters for the roof are now visible to passersby.
The owners the Prenitss Club building at the time of the fire, Fred and Melinda Kent, recently decided to deed the building over to the Historic Natchez Foundation, which is overseeing the restoration of the building’s roof.
Chase Klugh, director of preservations for HNF, said the organization’s goal at this point is just to make the building weatherproof.
“That entails putting a new roof on is what we have going on now,” Klugh said. “We will have more work done to the windows as well just to make sure they are secure and … before we put the trusses in, we had to complete some masonry work at the top where the brick was destroyed at the very top.”
Klugh said he estimates it will be several weeks before the roof is completed.
Klugh said the roof would be a shingle roof that looks similar to the original clay tile roof that was destroyed in the fire.
If someone wanted to put a clay tile roof back on the building at some point in the future, however, Klugh said the decking and tresses being put in place would support an actual clay tile roof.
“Basically, (we are) making sure the state of the building is kept like this, and it doesn’t further deteriorate so that eventually someone can come along and redevelop it,” Klugh said.
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