Preserving an Inheritance
From deteriorated mortar joints between stone blocks and weather-damaged wooden doors to bowing stained glass windows and designing accessible pathways, the Cathedral’s preservation needs call for our attention and support.
Any inheritance merits faithful stewardship, and Washington National Cathedral demands particularly keen preservation as a beacon of faith and hope for the nation and the world. As friends and supporters, we have inherited the craftsmanship and artistry of architects, builders, and carvers—to name a few—and enjoy the responsibility, both practical and moral, to maintain this treasure for generations to come. Such work extends beyond the building and works of art themselves to their spiritual meaning and symbolic value in our world.
Such responsibility comes with a price tag. Cathedral Conservator John Runkle was recently asked about this year’s expense, and he answered that it could exceed $800,000, if the money were available. Stone Mason Joe Alonso quantified it more concretely: work on the 12 north flying buttresses costs about $40 per square foot or some $38,000 per buttress. The work involves cleaning stone work, repairing cracks and damaged stones, replacing mortar in the joints, and installing special netting not visible from the ground to protect the tracery in the windows from nesting pigeons.
Last year John received a master plan for preservation of the Cathedral, following an extensive survey of the architecture. The survey brings good news: the Cathedral is in good condition; not excellent, but good. “We have some room for improvement,” he notes. A few excerpts:
- Scheduled repair of exterior doors suffering from the weather: $15,000/year.
- Maintenance of exterior metal and painted surfaces: $42,000.
- A 10-15 year effort to repoint all exterior mortar joints: $3,500,000.
- Design plans for greater accessibility for the disabled: $100,000, with more funds required for implementation.
Such efforts are not new; preservation of the Cathedral came along side construction in the 1980s. Replacement of roofs, rebuilding of lightning-damaged pinnacles, removal of interior water stains, and conservation of stained glass windows have been but a few of the initiatives over the past 30 years. But as the building ages and technology and techniques improve, the work grows.
Please consider your role in the preservation of the fabric of Washington National Cathedral and how your gift will not only maintain a magnificent structure but a national landmark of hope, faith, and permanence. You can learn more about the needs for preservation and listen to a conversation with both John and Joe at this page. You may also contact Suzy Mink, director of philanthropy, at smink@cathedral.org.
