Cathedral of Saint Paul

The renovation and roof replacement of the 120-year-old Cathedral of Saint Paul honors the original work of 10,000 immigrants who raised funds in 1889 to build a church that would honor God and show their gratitude for their ability to provide for their families in their new city. So replacing the original slate roof at the Cathedral of Saint Paul was no small job, and the significance of the project, both architecturally to the city and spiritually to the faithful of St. Paul, was enormous.

Initially the scope of the project was to replace the cathedral’s 120-year-old slate roof system, including spires 183 feet high, with bands of color and unique architectural elements. The project would also include repointing the masonry, roof structural repairs, a new electrical system, a new lighting protection system, repainting, and site drainage upgrades. The challenge was working 180+ feet off the ground without using the historic cathedral structure to support the scaffolding in the middle of a busy, curb-to-curb urban site. The solution? Creative thinking between talented subcontractors and Hoar’s principled experts resulted in a unique, cantilevered scaffolding system that allowed workers access to the construction areas. As an added bonus, the scaffolding provided the cathedral’s reverend a rare opportunity to climb the cathedral and see its majesty from the spires.