The Rebuilding of Notre Dame: Preserving our History. A guest blog by Addysen Dillard.

In March, I had the pleasure of visiting Notre Dame and learning of its history. Notre Dame caught fire in April of 2019, and electrical faults were suspected as the cause.

The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, 2019

Originally, the government had the goal of rebuilding in time for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, however, COVID disrupted construction for about a year.

Paris Olympics 2024

Even through the disruption, France was able to open Notre Dame that December. 

Notre Dame has been a significant symbol for the French people for centuries: home to France’s Kings, culture, and Catholic religion. Notre Dame has stretched beyond the French to be universally significant. It has survived revolutions and regimes of time. Following the tragedy, it was no surprise that the community came together—over 250 businesses—to restore every part of Notre Dame.

When the fire ceased, it was clear that the roof was the main loss. While devastating, hope remained through structures like the stained glass and traditional religious artwork. History met modern technology through devices that maintained stability (the main priority during reconstruction). 

The rebuild of Notre Dame Cathedral

In order to have the materials to properly rebuild the cathedral’s roof, France had to appeal to its people. The wood used for the church was brought from a variety of individual French citizens and state forests. This collective support from the people of France further represented the generational importance of Notre Dame. From all of the  aid provided by so many citizens, the cathedral is now connected much more closely to all of its benefactors.  

Since reopening, Notre Dame has been able to hold Mass and keep its doors open to the public. The landmark’s fire served as an emotional example of why historic preservation is so important. Daily, the Heard-Craig Center, and all other museums worldwide, experiences the same type of preservation challenge as Notre Dame. Old electrical wiring, corroded water pipes, and basement flooding, for example, require all museums and historical sites to plan for upgrades and site enhancements.  The Heard-Craig has been the beneficiary of several grants from the McKinney Community Development Corporation (MCDC) that supported similar upgrades and enhancements. For it is only through the combined support of the community and funding sources like MCDC that we can continue to open our doors to the public and share history, just like Notre Dame.

The Heard-Craig Center, preserved since 1900 for the benefit of the community.

The Heard-Craig Center is a 501(c)(3) organization whose philanthropic mission is to provide free meeting space to 26 other non-profit arts and literary groups, to share exhibits in an art gallery, and to share what life was like in the early 1900s.  The Heard-Craig is open to the public for tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 PM or by appointment.  The Heard Legacy book that shares the significant history of the Heard Family and their influence in building McKinney can be purchased inside the Museum book store Tuesday - Friday between 9-3:00 PM.  972-569-6909.  www.heardcraig.org