
The devastating Notre-Dame Cathedral fire on Monday, Apr. 15, 2019, prompted immediate pledges, individual and corporate, to help rebuild France’s iconic and beloved cathedral. In turn, social media spurred awareness and donations to three Louisiana churches destroyed by arson thousands of miles away. Their crowd-finding campaign, previously stalled, easily surpassed its $1.8-million mark later that week. Donations came from all 50 states.
A major donor to the rebuilding of Notre-Dame, François-Henri Pinault stated, “Faced with this tragedy, everyone wishes to bring this jewel of our heritage back to life as soon as possible.” High profile events garner the lion's share of attention. How else might we have a more universal impact? Are there creative, strategic or future thinking ways to be of service? What opportunities are there when crowd-funding campaign caps?
From ashes to renewal, with the help of designers
Notre-Dame’s rebuild is enormous. For sure, it will take resources, skills from master craftsmen to architects, time and financial support--all necessary for such a highly complicated restoration. Art historian Andrew Tallon’s 2015 extensive laser scans of the structure are a blessing. In a reverse of the usual architectural process, his 3D modeling and documentation will inform future drawings for re-engineering and design. With this survey and data, the spire and roof of Notre Dame can be reconstructed in a way that resembles and respects the original design. Given we can accurately re-draw the cathedral, what about the skill set required to bring it back to life? And in addition, how can we impact and support the needs of lower profile projects in our own communities?

Art historian Andrew Tallon’s 2015 extensive laser scans of the structure are a blessing. In a reverse of the usual architectural process, his 3D modeling and documentation will inform future drawings for re-engineering and design.
Here is how we thought we might be of service:
1-Support scholarship and architectural discourse
The Richard Morris Hunt Prize is an award for registered architects to pursue research related to contemporary challenges in historic preservation. The scholarship promotes cross-cultural professional exchange between France and the United States, U.S. architects studying in France alternating with French architects studying in the U.S.
Donate here via the Architects Foundation.
2-Support documentation of our treasures
As laser-scanning and digital imaging technology reduce in cost, wouldn’t it be worth documenting historical sites in the event that they get damaged, or worse? CyArk is a conservation nonprofit whose mission is to digitally record, archive and share the world’s most significant cultural heritage sites and buildings. Sharing their data in powerful and accessible ways--from conservation to recovery efforts and from building an archive to accessible online immersion, CyArk is helping convey the power of these sites and buildings, recording our heritage before it is lost. Donate here via CyArk to help digitally preserve our eroding heritage.

3-Support preservation
With houses of worship across the U.S. facing aging, decay and physical distress, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2016 established a fund to assist in planning, repair and restoration. The National Fund for Sacred Places helps churches of all faiths use best stewardship practices for their historic facilities, with common goals to continue to strengthen and serve their communities.
The National Fund for Sacred Places helps churches of all faiths use best stewardship practices for their historic facilities ...
Donate here via The National Fund for Sacred Places or contribute to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
4-Support craftsmen
The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., has been a distinctive Gothic presence on the city’s skyline. However, for the past eight years, instead of its towers and stained glass, you might see scaffolding, stonemasons and construction workers. A rare earthquake hit in 2011, cracking dozens of flying buttresses, knocking a 350-pound carved stone off the Northwest tower and damaging three of the four stone spires. The National Cathedral restoration will be the biggest stone restoration job in the U.S. at a cost of approximately $34 million. The work is now in the hands of stone carvers and masons, who admit that their trade is something of a dying art. Head stonemason Joe Alonso reports, "... this place, it still affects me. It's the craftsmanship and the unbelievable beauty in here."
The many tradesmen and master craftsmen working at the National Cathedral need support; they've got a long way to go. Theirs is one of the earliest crafts in civilization. The International Masonry Training and Education Foundation (IMTEF) is actively recruiting men and women into the trowel trades--any individual looking for a long and rewarding career.
Learn more about the IMTEF here.
In the UK , the Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) aims to support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of Britain’s living heritage--through surveying, advocating, celebrating, safeguarding and supporting.
Learn how to support the HCA in the UK here.
By supporting such initiatives, we heighten our commitment and support of our cultural heritage, we set an example as advocates for long-term stewardship, and we preserve and showcase these important places, their cultural legacies, their relevance and lessons for our future.