Rooflines From a Single Rebuilding Decade
Much of Urbana's historic core went up in the construction boom that followed the October 9, 1871 fire, which means a large share of the city's oldest rooflines -- pitch, framing, and materials -- date to a fairly concentrated late-1800s and early-1900s building period. That shared era is useful context for any reroof project in Urbana's historic neighborhoods.
Storm Exposure on Century-Old Roof Framing
Central Illinois sees long-track tornadoes capable of staying on the ground for 50 to 200-plus miles, and Champaign County logged 79 tornadoes between 1950 and 2019 -- real wind exposure for roof framing built well over a century ago. Reroofing in Urbana's oldest blocks should account for framing that predates modern wind-load codes.