DIX HILLS AND THE JOHN COLTRANE HOUSE | County Roofing Systems (2024)

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When John and Alice Coltrane bought their Dix Hills ranch home, new tract housing was springing up all across Long Island. Many Long Island housing developments kept out Black families. But Dix Hills and surrounding areas like Wyndanch were integrated by the 1950s. The Coltranes had no difficulty purchasing a home for their growing family, and one with an upstairs bedroom for rehearsal and a basem*nt for recording.

Only a few years after the Coltranes moved to Dix Hills, tragedy struck. On July 17, 1967, John Coltrane died of liver failure. A grief-stricken Alice stayed in the home with her family until 1972 and recorded several classic albums of her own. But in 1972 the Coltranes left Long Island and relocated to California.

After their departure, a series of owners came and went. Each owner deferred maintenance, and the Coltrane Home grew increasingly decrepit. For several years the Coltrane Home was abandoned. By 2002 the Coltrane Home had seen better days. Much of the interior had rotted and the brick exterior was crumbling.

Developers could make more money tearing down the old wreck and replacing it with a more fashionable modern home. Like many other Long Island midcentury homes, it wound up on the chopping block and was scheduled for demolition. Thanks to the efforts of many jazz fans, historians, and musicians, 247 Candlewood Path was saved.

But buying the old Coltrane Home was only the first job these fans faced. Now the Friends of the Coltrane Home were faced with the task of restoring it.

This picture of the John Coltrane Home was taken in August, 2009, not long after the Friends of the John and Alice Coltrane Home acquired the place. Looking at this picture, I can see that they had their work cut out for them. There are several signs of serious roof damage in this photo.

I see several shingle patches that a roofer applied to cover leaks and damaged shingles. The work isn’t just unsightly. It shows that they plugged up immediate problems while ignoring other serious issues. When you see this kind of slipshod work on a roofing project, you know that you’re going to discover many more installation errors and shortcuts.

When we look at the edge of the roof, we see that many shingles have lifted. The starter shingles which held them down have fallen off. This lets wind and rain blow under the asphalt shingles with every squall and nor’easter. If left neglected too long, this windblown rain can damage the roof deck.

As we can see from this photo, that’s exactly what happened here. The gentle curves you see on the roof are signs of roof deck rot. The waterlogged boards holding the shingles and other roofing materials sag under the roof’s weight.

The Coltrane House was built in 1952, so by 2009 roof repair was no longer enough to keep things in order. We offer a 50-year warranty on our work, but we’ll also tell you that every roof has an limited lifespan. If your roof is getting on in years, it may be time for a complete roof replacement.

This photo was taken in 2015, after a full restoration. You can see how much better the roof looks in this photo. The shingles look great, as do the gutters, fascia, and soffits. This is a home fit to honor the greatest tenor saxophone player of all time.

The Friends of the John Coltrane Home have done a great job of bringing this once-crumbling home back to life. They continue to renovate and restore the building.

FINANCING YOUR NORTHPORT ROOF WORK

Financing roof replacement or repair

We have over 35 years experience as Long Island roofing contractors. We’ve worked with many local lenders on roofing projects in Dix Hills and throughout Suffolk County. If you don’t have a lending agent lined up, we can introduce you to financing agents who can help. We can also work with your current lender to make sure all paperwork is in order.

You can find contractors who will offer lower bids for residential roofing services. But when you hire County Roofing Systems, you get the job done right the first time. We’ve worked with many different types of roofing materials and we have experience on residential, commercial, and multifamily buildings across the LI/NYC metro area.

If you would like to donate to the Coltrane home or learn more about a visit, here is the contact information :

FRIENDS OF THE JOHN & ALICE COLTRANE HOME
81H East Jefryn Blvd
Deer Park, NY11729

Tel: (631) 860-9200
Email:info@thecoltranehome.org

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