Rinaldi Brothers - Commercial Roofing Division recently completed this historic roof restoration of the Block Island Beach House (formerly The Surf Hotel). Our team knocked this install out of the park - navigating volatile weather, travel and logistics coordination. Originally built around 1873 as the private home and medical office of Dr. T.C. Mann, the property was known as Surf Cottage before being purchased in 1876 by C.W. Willis, who expanded it into the Surf Hotel to accommodate Block Island's growing tourism industry. Over the following decades, the hotel became one of the island's most iconic Victorian seaside resorts, featuring views of Old Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. It remained a beloved summer destination through the rise and fall of steamship travel, the Great Depression, the devastating 1938 hurricane, and World War II, becoming deeply woven into Block Island's history. Although the official name has changed, many longtime residents and visitors still affectionately refer to it as "The Surf", recognizing its more than 150-year legacy as one of Block Island's most cherished landmarks and its distinction as the island's only true beachfront hotel.