Restoration effort begins with careful survey of historic Asheville church
Using drones and laser scanners, technicians survey St. Lawrence Basilica Oct. 10 as part of an extensive evaluation that will determine what needs to be done to restore the historic church. (Photos by John Cosmas | Catholic News Herald)ASHEVILLE — Architects and historians are using the latest technology to help save historic St. Lawrence Basilica.
Armed with laser scanners, drones and cameras, experts carefully scrutinized every inch of the century- old basilica in downtown Asheville for two weeks in October – climbing all over the dome, descending into the basement, and even rappelling down the two bell towers and exterior walls as curious passersby stopped to watch. Their goal: to evaluate the extent of damage done to the basilica by water, winter temperatures and 100-plus years of use.
The basilica has deteriorated over the years and shows signs of damage – everything from crumbling tile and brickwork to moisture damage and cracks in the famed dome ceiling. The stunning tile-decorated apse and chapels, as well as the brick walls, need cleaning from 109 years of incense, candles and heating.
Experts are analyzing the drone photos, laser infrared assessments and extensive evaluations taken inside and outside the basilica to help develop a restoration plan, said Jim Crumlish, president of the Basilica Preservation Fund Inc. That plan is expected by mid-2019.
The Basilica Preservation Fund Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to protecting and raising awareness about the historic structure, is leading the preservation effort in coordination with parish and Diocese of Charlotte officials. The fund was set up in 2008 in part to help enable a national campaign to try to acquire donors who could be interested in preserving a historic landmark like this.
Preserving and updating the basilica could cost anywhere from $10 million to $15 million or more, Crumlish estimates.
The historic basilica in downtown Asheville was built from 1905 to 1909 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only work by renowned architect Rafael Guastavino that he both designed and constructed.
Guastavino, nicknamed “the architect of New York,” was famous for his vaulted domes and herringbone tile work in Carnegie Hall, Grand Central Terminal, the American Museum of Natural History, St. Patrick Cathedral, the Federal Reserve Bank and the Great Hall on Ellis Island in New York, as well as Grant’s Tomb and the U.S. Army War College in Washington, D.C., among hundreds of other buildings. Work on the Biltmore House brought him to Asheville, where the Spanish immigrant decided to make his home. He died in 1908 and was laid to rest in a crypt to the left of the basilica’s altar, behind a door covered with tiles and a medallion made by his son and partner, Rafael Jr.
Guastavino is credited with reviving an ancient tile and mortar building system that was used for centuries in Spain, and there has been renewed interest in his work following the restoration of Grand Central Terminal and other Guastavino works in New York City. Read more about its history.
Because of that history, the hope is that fans of Guastavino might be interested in restoring this unique work to its original splendor, noted Anthony Morlando, diocesan director of properties and risk management.
The first step is determining the extent of the damage wrought on the basilica during the past century.
“They are still quite early in the process,” Morlando said. “First is to study what needs to be done, then qualifying costs and then proceeding with a national capital campaign to raise the necessary funds. There is much work ahead of us to get to the point where we’re actually restoring the basilica.”
Joseph K. Oppermann-Architect, P.A. of Winston-Salem, a preservation expert known in the Asheville area for his work at the Biltmore Estate and the Thomas Wolfe House, will lead the overall project to determine the basilica’s preservation needs. Vertical Access, based in Ithaca, N.Y., is assessing the building’s condition.
The basilica was built without wood beams or steel, with massive stone foundations. All floors, ceilings and pillars are tile and masonry material. The tile dome, clad in copper, is believed to be the largest unsupported elliptical dome in North America. And nearly every part of the building is showing its age.
“When one of the workers did her first rappel off the building, she grabbed on to a brick and it came off in her hand. There’s some obvious weakness in the basic structure. We don’t know how much. Luckily, there was also a soaking, driving rain while the crew was using infrared. This should help follow the water to the source of the leaks,” Crumlish said.
“The firm will sit down and go through photo by photo and identify ‘how do we correct this?’ There’s a lot of work behind it,” he said.
At the same time as they are assessing the damage, historians are also working on creating a historical structure report which is useful for fundraising, Crumlish said. This report identifies what the basilica was like in its initial design, what changes have taken place over the years, and what needs to be done to restore the building to its original design.
The hope is that foundations interested in architectural preservation will contribute financially to the restoration effort, Crumlish said, who also chairs the parish finance council. “Our mission is to use a minimal amount of parish funds.”
“Restoring the basilica absolutely needs to be done,” Morlando said.
This isn’t the first time an evaluation of the basilica has been conducted. A study in 2004-2005 determined that it would cost $5 million to fix the roof, but that work wasn’t performed. More than a decade later, Crumlish said he suspects additional deterioration and rising construction costs mean that the project will total significantly more.
In addition to the structure, Crumlish said, they hope to be able to address other issues in the building including updating the HVAC, lighting and acoustics, as well as cleaning the dome.
— Kimberly Bender, online reporter. Photos by John Cosmas.
More online
At www.savethebasilica.org: Learn more about St. Lawrence Basilica and the efforts to preserve it.
