Author(s)

D.B. Woodham

Abstract

The Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, Maryland is the first Catholic cathedral to be established in the United States. The cathedral was designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and is an important religious building as well as a significant example of the Greek Revival style in the United States. As part of a condition assessment and historical research program, the configuration and condition of several critical structural elements of the cathedral were evaluated in the autumn of 2000. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used to nondestructively determine the thickness of the cathedral dome at numerous locations. The radar was also used to determine the configuration of a main supporting column for the dome and a column supporting one of the two bell towers at the cathedral. A

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