Press release from Basilica Preservation Fund:
Today, October 13,2020, is the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the Basilica of St. Lawrence.
The historic Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville was recently honored to be one of a select few churches nationwide awarded participation in the National Fund for Sacred Places in 2020.
The National Fund for Sacred Places is a program of Partners for Sacred Places, the only national non-sectarian nonprofit focused on helping communities preserve their historic religious properties and maximize their use and potential as vital community assets. Participation includes a matching grant of up to $250,000 and a package of customized planning grants, training and technical assistance, coaching and consulting services through Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The mission of Partners for Sacred Places is to build a shared sense of responsibility for the future of sacred places. Learn more about the National Fund for Sacred Places and the Partners for Sacred Places.
The Basilica of St. Lawrence is proud to have been selected based on the National Fund’s five core criteria:
● National/regional historic significance of the church
● Community engagement
● Proposed project scope and need
● Fundraising campaign readiness
● Healthy congregationThe funding and support from the National Fund for Sacred Places will help launch a capital campaign to make urgently needed repairs to the roof and parapets.
It was also announced that the Basilica of St. Lawrence will receive a 2020 Carraway Award of Merit from Preservation North Carolina.
The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit give deserved recognition to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion, and/or significant participation in preservation.
The award commends the planning towards and completion of the Historic Structure Report, completed in 2020 by acclaimed historic preservation architect Joseph K. Oppermann, which set the stage for future repair and restoration. It also recognized overall stewardship of the church by the Parish, the Diocese of Charlotte and the Basilica Preservation Fund.
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