What Else?
If you've ever seen a barefooted roofer closing a standing seam on a hot tin roof in or near Madison, Indiana, well, that's Mr. Cunningham. Not only is Mr. Cunningham a cobbler, but he works as a full time tinner. In addition to his architectural expertise he makes reproduction tinware, manufacturing with 150 year-old tools and methods taught to him as a teen. Though he has often been found on a rooftop, due to two recent hip surgeries his roofing days are winding down.
His tin shop is located in Madison, Indiana. The circa 1850s brick building is eligible for the National Register under criterion A and C, and is considered a contributing resource to the Madison National Register Historic District,. The building was built by a family that crossed the ocean (in 1832) from England to start life anew in America. Mr. Benjamin Brushfield, both a tallow maker and broom maker (like Mr. Cunningham) purchased the property in 1833. A history blog was started about the Brushfield-Cunningham manufactory and the neighborhood east of Ferry Street in Madison, formerly known as Fulton.