With all of the recent horrendous weather that has been seen across the country it should come as no surprise that some structures are seeing damage because of it. Between high speed winds, treacherous rains, and large hail stones home owners’ houses and outdoor décor are under attack. This was the case in Janesville, Wisconsin when winds ranging between 50 and 80 miles per hour hit the town. One historical building suffered a bit more irreplaceable damage than the others reported Gazette Extra:

“When Rock County Historical Society curator Laurel Fant came to work Thursday morning she noticed a crumpled mess in the grass next to the Lincoln–Tallman House.

On closer inspection, she realized it was pieces of the Lincoln–Tallman House cupola roof. The metal cupola roof—including an original, hand-carved 12-foot wood spire—was torn off by heavy winds from a storm that ripped through southern Wisconsin late Wednesday.”

The metal cupola was similar to any vinyl cupolas you may see but it lacked the modern convenience that vinyl cupolas have. The final which was incredibly unique compared to modern finials was composed of wood and is irreplaceable said a Wisconsin restoration specialist:

“It’s like losing some really precious folk art because a lot of it was hand-carved out of old growth lumber, probably from timber that was 300 years old,” he said.

The damage comes after Sutterlin had finished a restoration last fall on the Lincoln–Tallman House cupola, including work on wood finials.”

Historic restoration specialist, Ron Sutterlin, estimates that the repairs to the roof, cupola, and finial will cost around $30 thousand dollars. Fant is unsure of whether or not the city’s insurance will cover the damage because the building was a county historical society. Until the repairs begin and the costs are taken care of a tarp remains where a beautiful cupola and finial once were.