COVINGTON, KY. — The last stone gargoyle was returned to its perch on the facade of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Ky., marking the completion of the heavy lifting in a two-year, nearly $8 million restoration. The project addressed deterioration across the limestone exterior of the 125-year-old cathedral.

The restoration encompassed repairs of deteriorated stone, metal and glass on the cathedral's limestone facade, work that spanned the length and height of the building's front exterior. Workers also repaired deteriorated finials, arches and balustrades. Over the course of the two-year project, 32 gargoyles were recreated in stone to replace originals that had degraded during the building's century and a quarter of exposure to weather.

The placement of the final recreated gargoyle on the facade brought the most physically demanding phase of the renovation to a close. The stone figures, which serve as water spouts designed to direct rainwater away from the building's walls, had to be individually carved and then lifted into position along the upper sections of the exterior. Each of the 32 recreated gargoyles was fashioned to correspond with the forms of the originals they replaced.

The effort to restore the cathedral traces its origins to 2018, when Very Rev. Ryan Maher discovered that a large piece of stone had fallen from the building's exterior. That discovery prompted an evaluation of the structure's condition, which revealed the extent of deterioration affecting its stonework, glass and metal components. The findings led to the development of the restoration plan that became the nearly $8 million renovation completed over the two years that followed.

Most of the renovation funding came from donations. The donor-supported fundraising effort covered the full scope of exterior work, from the repair and replacement of deteriorated limestone elements to the restoration of metalwork and glass and the carving and installation of all 32 replacement gargoyles that now line the facade.

Though the major restoration work has been completed, smaller tasks around the facade remain. Workers will continue with finishing efforts that include installing chimeras — decorative sculptural figures distinct from the functional gargoyles — on the cathedral's roofline.