The Mending of the Fallen Angels
by Dylan Dease
On August 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake originating from central Virginia shook the foundation of the National Cathedral located in Washington D.C.
Where as West Coast earthquakes are more frequent but less harmful, this earthquake had much more of an impact because it was able to travel across the land much easier.
Damages to the building itself were minimal and small, but complex carvings such as finials and angels were the main parts of the cathedral’s structure that fell off during the quake. Seven years later, many of the damages inflicted by the 2011 earthquake are still not fully repaired.
Finials, like the one pictured above, are extremely complex to make and quite heavy. One finial weighs about 500 pounds.
In addition to heavy finials that need to be fixed, cathedral carver Mason Foreman Alonso estimated that re carving one angel would take about 50 hours.
The image above depicts a fragment of an angel statue that fell during the earthquake.
The cathedral also faces other problems with reconstruction such as dealing with expensive repairs, the preliminary expenses alone estimated at 15 million dollars.
Despite what seems like a slow and futile reconstruction process, John Shenefield, a cathedral supporter and once a chairmen of the board of directors, remains upbeat about the cathedral’s rebuilding.
“I’m optimistic, so I’d say 2020,” Shenefield said.
According to Shenefield, who has been active in the National Cathedral community since he served as a choir boy, almost all the architecture and structure of the building has been maintained since it was first started in 1907. Since then Shenefield said that no major renovations or remodeling has occurred. He remembered exactly where he was August 23, 2011, the day of the Virginia earthquake.
“I was in an office building across the street,” Shenefield said. He also remembers feeling and seeing buildings shaking.
The National Cathedral began construction in 1907, out of Indiana limestone, also known as Salem limestone. According to the Indiana Geological and Water Survey (IGS) at Indiana University, Salem limestone is a freestone, allowing it to be molded or carved in almost any way imaginable. This made the material perfect for the construction of the 300-foot, gothic style cathedral that is located in the nation’s capital today.
The Construction of the National Cathedral was complete in 1960, and since then the building has been kept in quality condition, with the exception of the damages caused by the earthquake.
While it is uncertain when the repairs and renovations needed to restore the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. to all of its former glory will be complete, the building is still a testament to pristine architecture and the beauty it can possess.
