ASHEVILLE – By mid-morning on Aug. 26, a small crowd had already gathered outside the Basilica of St. Lawrence downtown, waiting for the historic 1909 church to open its doors to visitors. Looking up at this Spanish Renaissance masterpiece, one can see the church’s reddish-orange brickwork contrasted with a simple black mesh – a testament to the work being done to preserve the basilica for centuries to come.
After the community raised over $3 million for the project and another $1 million in grants and donations to the nonprofit Basilica Preservation Fund, supporters of the Rafael Guastavino-designed church at 97 Haywood St. are currently seeking roughly $2 million more for the first phase of the preservation project. This phase will replace the copper dome and interior skylight and create a new stormwater drainage system for the historic basilica’s roof.
The Basilica Preservation Fund recently received a $750,000 grant from the Save America’s Treasures program to help repair the building, the National Park Service announced Aug. 20. The NPS awarded the church a National Significance designation in 2010, noting that its significance was due to “architectural and engineering features rather than religious significance.” The Save America’s Treasures program celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.
“It is appropriate to celebrate this important anniversary with a wide range of projects that help transmit the full history of America and its people to future generations,” said Chuck Sams, director of the National Park Service, in an Aug. 20 news release, also noting that the grants are intended to help communities preserve their historically significant projects.
Currently, the aging basilica is struggling with significant water leaks, crumbling masonry and a dilapidated copper dome that is currently “past its life expectancy,” said Mary Everist, board chair of the Basilica Preservation Fund, a non-religious nonprofit that raises money to protect and preserve the building.
Basic needs include stormwater prevention, drainage solutions
Since its completion in 1909, St. Lawrence’s Basilica has been considered one of the region’s most architecturally significant structures. Designed by Rafael Guastavino, the church is known for its massive, freestanding elliptical dome—the largest of its kind in the United States—and highlights the architect’s Catalan roots while preserving a piece of the city’s early 20th-century history.
However, the building has seen better days.
A 2019 architectural assessment of the basilica by Winston Salem-based architect Joseph K. Oppermann revealed some surprising findings. The building is in dire need of repair and restoration, as the region’s climate and weather have caused significant damage to the building’s interior and exterior.
Passersby may notice the black netting that surrounds the brick cornice outside the basilica. The netting is designed to prevent bricks from falling on people below as the mortar loosens due to weathering, Everist said.
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The long-term damage inside the building can be seen in the cracks and white efflorescence that has formed on the tiles and bricks around the nave. Recently, a heavy light fixture had to be removed due to concerns that its weight could cause some bricks to fall apart where water had seeped in, Everist said.
The cost of the first phase is around $6.5 million. Setting up a rainwater collection and distribution system, replacing the copper dome and reconstructing the masonry cornice surrounding the dome are just some of the “most necessary” repair work, Everist said. The cost of the first phase is about double the original estimate, mainly because exploratory work has revealed more areas that need to be repaired.
The fund has sent some of the mortar used by Guastavino for analysis and reproducibility, she said. To lead the project, the Basilica Preservation Fund is partnering with John G. Waite Associates, a New York-based architectural firm specializing in historic preservation and restoration. The firm has previously been involved in other Guastavino preservation projects.
“You can’t just do a cookie-cutter approach and bring someone here,” Everist said.
Of the funds needed for the first phase, the Basilica Preservation Fund still needs about $2 million. In total, the entire preservation project is estimated to cost $23 million and could take up to 10 years to complete. Additional phases would include adding bathrooms in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and repairing other elements on the building’s exterior.
“We would appreciate support from companies,” said Everist.
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Celebrated as a masterpiece even before the premiere
The basilica also continues to be an economic engine for the city. A recent report commissioned by the church shows it brings about $30 million to the region’s economy, Everist said. The building attracts tourists, like New Jersey resident Caroline Mary Thomas, who said her priest advised her to visit the church while traveling through the mountains of North Carolina.
Guastavino’s work throughout the United States is notable for his masonry construction style, which became highly influential in the Northeast, according to an article by Peter Austin published as part of the North Carolina State University Library’s Architects and Builders project.
Before the Basilica of St. Lawrence was completed, it was already being hailed as a masterpiece. An article in the Asheville Citizen on December 29, 1907, praised the building’s exterior as a “triumph of masonry and architecture.” The church did not open until two years later, and before the interior was completed, Guastavino died in 1908.
It is the only building in the United States entirely designed, built and supervised by the architect, Everist said. The building’s interior was completed by his son before its opening in 1909.
In addition, artifacts that Guastavino added to the building, such as Massimo Stanzione’s 17th-century masterpiece “The Visitation” and the 17th-century hand-carved walnut tableau of the Crucifixion, testify to his commitment to the basilica’s construction, Everist said. Guastavino is buried right next to the Lady Chapel.
“That was his swan song,” said Everist.
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Will Hofmann is the growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Tim.it.
