Basilica - Exterior

In August 1921, following the Novena for the Feast of the Assumption, thousands gathered as Bishop William Turner and Father Nelson Baker laid and blessed the cornerstone of what would become OLV National Shrine & Basilica. Today, that same cornerstone rests on the Shrine’s northwest corner.

The Basilica’s exterior, gleaming in white marble, was crafted almost entirely from stone supplied by the Georgia Marble Company of Tate, G.A., a firm still known today for its work on landmarks such as the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Inside and out, 46 different types and colors of marble combine to create a breathtaking mosaic of texture and light.

Extending from the Basilica’s façade are two sweeping colonnades, reminiscent of Bernini’s design for St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Each welcomes visitors with marble figures that tell OLV’s story. On the west colonnade stands a statue of Father Baker, a surprise tribute kept secret from him until its unveiling. The east colonnade pays tribute to the Sisters of St. Joseph, the order that had arrived in the 1850s to care for the little ones at St. Joseph’s Orphanage and who remain part of the OLV organizations to this day.

Crowning it all is the Basilica’s magnificent copper dome. At 65 feet tall and 80 feet wide, it was second in size (only to the U.S. Capitol) when it was completed in 1925. Atop it, four 18-foot copper angels sound their trumpets to the four corners of the world, proclaiming Father Baker’s message of faith and charity.