TYRINGHAM — Berkshire County’s beloved gingerbread house is undergoing surgery on the front half of its leaky roof. With four colors and hand-cut shingles, the new roof at the gingerbread house at Santarella Gardens will look similar to the original once it’s finished this fall. While it appears to be thatched, the roof designed by sculptor Henry Hudson Kitson in the 1920s was finished with asphalt shingles.
Shaun Mosley unearthed this archival photo, dating to the 1940s, of the gingerbread house at Santarella Gardens. Owners of the property, Josh Williams and Shaun Mosley , hoped their GoFundMe , launched in August, 2023, might go a long way toward helping them take on the expense of tearing off the decking and replacing the wavy roof, which has been leaking for years. Josh Williams and Shaun Mosley have dipped into their retirement to pay for a new roof on the front half at the gingerbread house at Santarella Gardens.
Thirty-four people responded to their appeal, but with a goal of $200,000, the fundraiser has netted $4,078 thus far. Grants are not an option for the restoration project because Mosley and Williams are private owners, rather than a nonprofit. Though, they said they plan to start a nonprofit organization to promote underrepresented artists — and to hold community events, theatrical, arts and cultural programming at Santarella Gardens.
Worried that the roof and building might not be able to withstand another winter, Williams, 41, and Mosley, 43, decided.
