Will Hayden’s Roofs

On By Ginger KincaidIn Black History, Work
 

Annie Hayden, wife of Will Hayden, circa 1953.  “Miss Annie” worked for the Jacob Kincaid family and can be seen in numerous family pictures. This picture was taken in the back yard of what is now Marcelle Doggett’s home. Some say there is the image of a ghost in the lower right hand side of the picture, right under Miss Annie’s left hand.  
 
If you make it a point to observe some of the tin roofs in Bath County, you will note that there is a type with ridges, where sheets of tin have been crimped together.  These tin roofs were installed by a master tinner.  This tinner was a resident of Bath County, and his name was Will Hayden.  He had his shop in the building that he owned on the corner of Oberlin and Water Streets.  The red building still stands at that address.*
Many houses and businesses are still sheltered by the tin roofs installed by Mr. Hayden.
*The red building that Mr. Burl refers to is no longer standing, as it was destroyed by fire several years ago.  However,  Mr. Hayden’s roofs are still visible all over town.   Don and I took a drive on a Sunday not too long ago, and he showed me several examples of this skilled tinner’s work.  You can differentiate between newer metal roofs and those installed by Mr. Hayden by looking for staggered, horizontal overlaps.  Some of the houses in town are completely covered by his metal roofs, while others just have the original porch overhang.   The overhang on Mr. Delbert Anderson’s home is an example of Mr. Hayden’s fine craftsmanship.  Once you know what to look for, the roofs become easy to spot.

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