Cathedral chimeras to take their rightful place in the coming weeks

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The chimeras, which sit atop the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, will soon make their long-awaited return, as Cathedral construction begins wrapping up. Don Knochelmann, director of Buildings and Properties for the Diocese of Covington, estimates that it will take only one day to bring the 26 chimeras to the roof of the Cathedral.

The tradesmen of Trisco Systems will soon be unloading the terracotta chimeras from their crates and placing them in a lifting basket attached to a crane.

“They’re going to take two at a time, they’ll have 13 trips to place them up there,” said Mr. Knochelmann. Once the chimeras have been safely transported to the roof of the Cathedral, it will take approximately five days for them to be attached in their respective spots.

The original chimeras — also made of terracotta — had been filled with concrete and attached via a metal rod to the Cathedral roof. As the years wore on, however, those rods deteriorated and their concrete interior caused the terracotta exterior to crack. The new chimeras are hollow and will be attached by a threaded, stainless-steel rod, which will be bolted down.

To extend the new chimera’s life, each has been equipped with vents and “weep holes,” said Mr. Knochelmann, “so that if moisture were to get in, it would weep out.”

Because the chimera will sit on the very top of the Cathedral, they are the last to be installed. Their gargoyle counterparts were installed throughout the winter months. Before the chimera can be transported to the roof, there are a few remaining projects to be completed.

“The big piece that remains is the center colonnade. It’s a centerpiece between the two towers … that has a structural problem. There are four new beams that are going in to replace beams that were corroded from the original construction,” said Mr. Knochelmann.

Once the beams of the colonnade have been replaced, the crew will begin “unloading the roof,” said Mr. Knochelmann. “They’re going to take all the scaffold down and take all the materials, all the protective covering on the roof down.”

“I am looking forward to wrapping this up and finishing what has really been the project of my life,” said Mr. Knochelmann. “You don’t really get to work on a building as beautiful and historic as this Cathedral. It’s an incredible building, and to be able to be the person that’s working on it and helping form what we’re doing to fix it has been a dream.”