When Tampa’s only rural living history museum needed to replace the Cedar Wood Shakes roofs of their historical structures from the 1800s they reached out to Dynasty Building Solutions. Located on the Florida State Fairgrounds, the museum features a collection of 13 original buildings, dated from 1870 to 1912, that were painstakingly uprooted from various locations across the state of Florida. The 1890s rural living history museum recreates lifestyles of the past and provides opportunities for the public to learn about Old Florida.

Dynasty was selected to work on both the historical Print Shop and SmokeHouse buildings. Not an easy feat. In fact, the degree of difficulty in reproducing historically accurate roof systems is known throughout the industry. Replicating the craftsmanship of an historical period is a major concern to many contractors, mainly because practices used in roof installation during the 1800s are quite different from today’s and early craftsmen really understood the materials they were working with. It is widely known that finding a modern craftsman with that type of knowledge is a major challenge, which is why the Historic Restoration specialist from ProHistorical reached out to Dynasty Building Solutions when he needed experts to install new roofs on these important historical structures.

First, due to the global supply chain issue, the Cedar Wood Shakes, used to replicate these specialty roofs, had to be imported from Canada. Then a thorough review of the specific detailing in the historic roof was an absolute must. Most modern carpenters and roofers do not know all the historic details needed to provide an accurate historic application. The ProHistorical scouts were elated to discover that Dynasty had a combined 50+ years of experience in the industry plus the expertise and craftsmanship to do the job right and ensure it was historically accurate. The finished product is a thing of beauty. (Check out the video below for the final results.) In keeping with the styling and materials of the past, Dynasty made a present-day masterpiece, worthy of Florida's beloved State Fairgrounds' living history museum.


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