St. Mary Cathedral Basilica is a Gothic Revival church designed by Paris trained Architect Theodore E. Giraud. The floor plan is a traditional Latin cross with the entrance facing west. The masonry mass wall and timber framed structure includes 500,000 Belgium bricks that had been used for shipping ballast. In 1876, a bell tower, designed by Architect Nicholas Clayton, was added to the east side of the cathedral, and in 1878, a cast-iron statue of “Mary Star of the Sea” was added to the top of the bell tower. In 1884, Clayton raised the twin spires on the west side of the cathedral to eighty feet, an elevation just below that of the bell tower. On August 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II made St. Mary’s Cathedral a minor basilica in recognition of its historical importance. Zero/Six performed an assessment of the exterior building envelope, providing a report outlining findings, suggested next steps, and repair recommendations.
