At the first "Preserving modernism" conference in Chicago I learned that the first patent for steel clapboard was issued in 1904 to a man from Watertown New York. In his patent application he decried the clear-cutting of the Adirondacks for lumber and feared that wood would become unavailable in the near future. And so he invented steel siding shaped to look like wood siding. Michael Lynch -----Original Message----- From: Mary Dierickx <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 3:56 PM Subject: Re: EIFS and modern materials >In a message dated 3/25/99 7:41:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, >[log in to unmask] writes: > ><< he NPS is already getting ready to preserve steel siding. The Minute Man > Missle site in South Dakota is covered in steel siding. Not only that but it > also has lots of "home improvements" done by the guys stationed there. >> > > >Having done a lot of research on decorative metal roofing and siding, I have a >slightly different take on modern metal siding. While I'm not a big fan of >it esthetically (and, like EIFS it dents, too), I do look at it as a >continuation of historic metal shingles and panels. When was it developed? - >at least after WWII and maybe before. This is the original cladding of many, >many houses today. We'll certainly be dealing with it as an original material >in the future. > >Mary Dierickx, NYC