Chicago ought to adopt measures to refurbish Holy Name Cathedral

Historic building in Chicago catches fire. You can mistake this for the headline in any newspaper or any news website but this is a stunning reality. Fire at historic buildings in Chicago, the largest city in Illinois, is no longer a major issue and people are getting more and more acquainted with this. However there is a question. What prevents Chicago from adopting drastic measures to renovate the historic buildings or the historic churches? There is no answer yet from the City Council and it seems that this reality will continue without a single break. But the greatest fear is that the Holy Name Cathedral may have the same fate as well after the recent fire in the building.

Well, this is certainly not any devilish expression of my intentions but the true picture of the general feeling. Can anyone forget the devastating fire in 2006 that seriously damaged Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler’s Pilgrim Baptist Church? Perhaps there is no such person. It is better to note, in this respect, that city has done little yet to put in place the fire-prevention standards recommended by historic preservationists after these gruesome incidents. No one expects that the same should befall the Holy Name Cathedral again and it is always better to remain prepared for the eventuality.

What may happen if there is no renovation of the church building? A significant section of the history along with the stupendous structure that is thoroughly woven into the fabric of Chicago’s life may be lost forever and this is not desirable. If you don’t know, learn it from here that the Gothic Revival cathedral at 735 N. State St., was constructed in 1875 and designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick Charles Keely. On the word of the residents of the city, the church has become synonymous to transcendent calm and sublimity.

There are also many who don’t consider this as an architectural masterpiece but can’t deny its spell. The building should be refurbished. The fire, thanks to the firefighters, has failed to engulf the cathedral’s sanctuary, its richly paneled wood ceiling and the exterior’s yellowish limestone walls. But there is the need of a thorough innovation and Chicago must come forward in this regard.