Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Construction began on this marvelous Cathedral in 1899, with the dedication ceremonies taking place in December, 1954. It was ten years ago that Pope John Paul II was so impressed with the edifice, that he proclaimed the Cathedral a minor Basilica on the spot, foregoing the usual paperwork.

The Keck Group was chosen to restore all of the interior millwork after more than a century of use. This included decorative wall panels, sanctuary entablature, doors, organ consoles, furnishings and pews.

The 112 pews (almost 3,000 linear feet) were removed and refinished at our shop in Middletown, New York. The works was done one fifth at a time, and each portion was turned around in an average of three weeks. New Atwood Hamlin kneelers replaced the old wooden kneelers.

The sanctuary proved to be the extremely challenging because of the multiple elevations of decorative carved millwork. Removing the existing limed oak finishes from within these niches, and then getting the new finish on evenly took all of the professional insight gained by Keck artisans through the years.

The decorative nave confessionals, grape carvings along the cornice and hand carved statuary surrounding the Stations of the Cross were refinished in a brown maple, providing a striking contrast with the white marble stations.

Special equipment was used to restore the woodwork surrounding the organ pipes, at n elevation of almost 100' above the nave floor.

The ornate Lady Chapel pews were also finished. They closely match the pews from the Lady Chapel at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York that The Keck Group refinished in 2003.

All of the furniture in the Cathedral was refinished to match the pews and woodwork: included were 78 chairs with kneeler, eight pre-adieux, and twelve acolyte stools.

This is a special project that The Keck Group is delighted to have completed successfully and proudly. It took all of the knowledge and experience that The Keck Group's team have to get the project done as expected.