Gutters and Downspouts

White Papers

Best practices from Historic New England experts

The roof drainage system plays an important role in New England structures by safeguarding against the region’s wet weather. The age, styles, and materials of these systems can vary tremendously but their primary goal is to transport water from the roof down to the ground and away from the structure.

In 2017 Historic New England secured a grant from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission’s Federal Historic Preservation Fund to review the efficiency of gutters. The grant was part of an effort to prevent water from seeping into and damaging the state’s historic buildings. This review helped inform the white papers below.

Gitter repair at Hathaway-Cushing-Millay House, a privately owned property