The State of Haiti’s Churches 6 Months After Quake
Six months after the massive earthquake that struck Haiti there is still enormous loss and hardship in the country. Amidst the human tragedy another tragedy is also unfolding as the survey of historic buildings, including sacred places, is underway.
Woman in Dispair outside Notre-Dame by Kesler Pierre
Some of our colleagues were among the first preservationists to arrive after the quake: the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and Conservation Tech’s Randolph Langenbach, Builders Without Borders‘, Martin Hammer, and stained glass conservator, Kesler Pierre. Randolph Langenbach has established a good website on historic preservation in Haiti since the quake.
Several of Haiti’s beloved places of worship were destroyed by the quake. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince, sometimes called the Port-au-Prince Cathedral or Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, was badly damaged by the quake. A grand cathedral that took 30 years to build was destroyed in minutes by the temblor.
Notre-Dame Post Quake Interior by Martin Hammer
Randolph Langenbach, one of the world’s foremost experts on earthquake resistant architecture discovered a small chapel across the street from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, that escaped damage. Unlike the Cathedral, which was made of low-grade late 19th and early 20th Century reinforced concrete with rebar that had rusted, the Chapel was constructed of light steel frames with masonry confined to the steel frames.
Chapel Escaped Quake Damage by Randolph Langenbach
Another well-loved church in Port-au-Prince is the Episcopal Trinity Church, famous for its murals done by Haitian artists in the 1950s. Haitian artists depicted Biblical scenes with figures of Haitians in Haitian settings including details from street-life. Most of the murals have been smashed into small pieces or reduced to dust and rubble.
Mural Fragments after the Quake
Portions of one of Trinity Churches’ main murals, The Last Supper, remain post-quake. Restoration experts have stabilized the painting and hope to restore it.
Trinity Church Murals by Martin Hammer
Why do people die like that? It’s because there’s no justice in Haiti.
Our latest issue of Sacred Sites Newsletter features a long article about the fate of Haiti’ Churches after the earthquake with many outstanding photos. It is available as a benefit of membership in Sacred Sites International. As a non-profit organization we are completely funded by membership donations.