Roofing in Narragansett, RI, built for the ocean side.

Roofing in Narragansett

Narragansett Roofs: Victorian Cottages, Beach Houses and Open Ocean

Few Rhode Island towns sit as close to the open ocean as Narragansett. After a railroad spur reached the Pier in 1872, the village turned into one of the country’s busy summer resorts, and cottages in Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Colonial Revival and other styles went up on the streets behind the hotels. The hotels are long gone, but many of those cottages are still standing, and the stone Towers still span Ocean Road.

Those old cottages have the kind of roofs that keep roofers honest: steep pitches, turrets, dormers, deep valleys and plenty of flashing. The town has set up four historic districts (Central Street, The Towers, Earle’s Court and Ocean Road). If your home is in one of them, check with the town about any review before you change the look of your roof.

Much of the rest of Narragansett grew after World War II, when the year-round population climbed fast. Bonnet Shores, Scarborough, Point Judith, Galilee and Great Island are full of capes, ranches and beach houses, many started as summer places and later winterized. Low-slope sections, past additions and simple attic venting are common on those homes.

Almost every roof in town feels the ocean. Wind off Rhode Island Sound, salt spray and the occasional hurricane are part of life here. Hurricane Carol caused massive damage across Rhode Island in 1954, just sixteen years after the 1938 hurricane. Salt is hard on exposed metal, and wind goes after loose shingle edges and ridge caps, so careful flashing and well-sealed edges matter more here than almost anywhere else in the state.

Photos on this page are illustrations, not specific Narragansett homes or our projects.