Investigation of Chapel’s Stability Underway
While Georgetown University Facilities Management continues to examine the structural stability of Dahlgren Chapel, workers have temporarily removed the rose window above the chapel’s entrance.
The removal of the window was a precautionary step taken to protect the stained glass after facilities staff found that walls around the window bowed outward, according to Karen Frank, vice president for University Facilities and Student Housing.
Facilities Management has contracted a structural engineering firm to investigate the cause of the bowing and it will provide a report to the university in November, Frank said.
Cracks were found in the masonry around the rose window in 2007. A piece of plaster fell from a wall near the window during a 12:30 p.m. Mass in September 2007, closing the chapel temporarily.
Dahlgren Chapel opened in 1893.
Oct 04 2009 at 10:20 p.m.
Kind of confused with this brief in the paper on Friday: on of the largest bits of information to me in this article is that the rose window above the entrance has been temporarily removed; the wording makes me think this happened recently. Yet, the stained glass has been gone for over a year now. I am glad to see The Hoya reporting on Dahlgren, just seems more emphasis should have been placed on the university receiving the firm's report in November.