Insurance Pays $70K to Reinstall Landmark Cathedral Cross

One of Erie, Pennsylvania’s most visible landmarks has been repaired and reinstalled: the gold-colored cross atop the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul.

The eight-foot cross was removed in February after the 120-foot-tall steeple and the cross were damaged by a lightning strike that church officials say likely happened late last year or early this year.

It’s unclear how long the cross has been in place. The Rev. John Downey, dean of the cathedral, says the church was built in the 1860s and the steeple was added in the 1870s. The gold-colored cross was added sometime later.

Downey says insurance covered most of the repair work, which cost about $70,000.