Question : If the dome is to be replaced, would the replacement dome also be made of copper? And if not, removing the existing dome would free up a lot of copper. Would selling that copper raise enough money to essentially pay for the needed repairs?
Answer : Maybe the community should be collecting pennies to melt down and make a new dome. Just kidding. Pennies are mostly zinc.
For those who may be unaware, supporters of the Basilica of St. Lawrence have been working to raise funds in support of a massive restoration and preservation effort on the Rafael Guastavino designed church on Haywood Street. The church, which has been considered a location of “National Significance” by the National Parks Service, will need repairs and restoration work that is estimated to cost over $23 million, the Citizen Times recently reported.
Reader, as you pointed out, the work involves replacing the copper dome that covers the beautiful tile brick self-supporting elliptical dome.
The answer is that paying for a new dome with the preexisting dome is unlikely. From what I understand, a lot of the work will go into the redesign of the church, and the cost isn’t just in the purchase of replacement copper and