National Cathedral Repairs To Cost $25M

Repairing damage to the National Cathedral caused by the Aug. 23 earthquake and resuming normal operations there may be more expensive than what had been originally estimated. The National Cathedral will need to raise $25 million over the coming year to get back to normal, cathedral officials now say. 

Of that, $15 million will be used for the initial repairs to the English Gothic cathedral, such as removing, repairing, and re-attaching the stone pinnacles, finials, pillars, and gargoyles damaged by the earthquake. The stone mason overseeing the project thinks it may take a decade or more to fully undo the destruction wreaked by the wrath of Mother Nature.

 The other $10 million will be used to run the National Cathedral through the end of 2012. Officials say they will continue their efforts to raise money by seeking contributions large and small from all across America, as the cathedral does not receive federal funding.