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Beneath the floor, above the ceiling and everywhere in between, the extensive interior renovation of Albany's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has unearthed some little known and seldom seen curiosities.

Rev. William Pape, Cathedral rector, and Katherine Onufer, project manager with the architectural firm of Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker, told The Evangelist about some of the interesting things they have discovered:

• In the basement, the old coal bin still sits next to the boiler room.

• Called an "oddity," the floor of the nave used to slope down eight inches from front to back. This probably happened in 1917, when the marble floors were installed over the old wood floors of aisles that were recessed four inches below the pew beds. At one time, people stepped up into the pews; this may have been a way to protect people from the cold drafts of a poorly-heated space.

• Numerous tickets from old concerts in the 1800s and 1900s were found when the floors were removed. Concerts were used as fundraisers throughout the history of the Cathedral, during its ongoing construction and renovation phases.

• The walls on both sides of the front entrance into the nave are hollow and just about wide enough for a person to fit into from the basement and climb all the way up to the choir loft!

• Jed Ellis, a paint restoration artist working on the current renovations (see a previous story on him at www.evangelist.org), recently brought to Father Pape's attention that there are upside-down decorations on the side altars that look like the faces of cats in the midst of a floral pattern. Father Pape surmises that the artisans may have been being playful when they included the felines.

• Over the choir stalls are four statues that traditionally were identified as Ss. Peter, Paul, James and, supposedly, Andrew. However, when the statues were taken down and examined more closely, beneath the paint on the Andrew statue is the name Philip.

• Previously unnoticed in the color scheme of the decorative plaster of the arches are birds among the grape clusters and vines.

• The archways in the sanctuary area still display the open gas jets, installed around 1891, that lit the space. The pipes ran along the back side of the arches and the plaster above the flames was probably protected by metal shields that directed the heat and fumes toward vents in the ceiling. Small access panels existed in the attic that were just large enough to let a person reach out and reignite the pilot lights if they went out.

• After taking down the original circa-1917 electric light fixtures, it was found that, underneath the paint, they are made of copper. They have been restored and will be reinstalled.

• There is evidence that a smaller, more octagonal-shaped choir loft preceded the current one. When the stair risers in the loft were removed, the workers found gas pipes that probably illumined the face on the original organ before electricity was used.

• Ms. Onufer said, "The main attic is a fascinating place for any who are up to the challenge of climbing up there." From the attic you can look down on the plaster and lath ceiling. The wood trusses are original.

• In the 1930s, structural repairs included putting red steel plates in the attic to shore up the clerestory walls. "The repairs are very sophisticated," re-marked Ms. Onufer, "given the technology available to them at the time."

Father Pape commented on the effect of the overall renewed paint scheme. "The building appears to have more verticality. It seems to be so much taller!"

As the interior restoration nears completion, Father Pape said he is filled with a sense of "what a prayerful, welcoming space the Cathedral is. It's a true gift to the Diocese, to the city and to the Capital Region. It is a home for everyone."

(04/22/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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