WASHINGTON – Earthquake damage at the landmark Washington National Cathedral is forcing officials to seek a new site to hold dedication services for the memorial honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
The service was to be held at the cathedral on Saturday, but the building will remain closed as a precaution.
Cathedral spokesman Richard Weinberg says structural engineers and architects continue to assess the damage, which is expected to be in the millions of dollars. Three of the four spires on the central tower broke off and there are major cracks in the flying buttresses at the cathedral’s east end.
Weinberg says the building’s overall structure remains sound.
The damage isn’t covered by insurance, so the cathedral is looking to the public for help making repairs. The cathedral isn’t funded by the government.
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