page_title: St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral (Parma, Ohio)
section_title: Construction of the "Astrodome"
hierarchical_section_title: St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral (Parma, Ohio) / Site: School and chapel / Construction of the "Astrodome"
caption_attribution_description: Astrodome - St Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral
context_page_description: St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral is a Ukrainian Catholic cathedral located in Parma, Ohio, in the United States. The cathedral grew out of a parochial school which opened in 1951 and a parish erected in 1959. Construction on the cathedral began in 1982, and was completed in 1985. It was dedicated in 1988, the thousand-year anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in Ukraine. The cathedral is the seat for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma, which was erected in 1983 during construction of the building.
context_section_description: In the summer of 1961, St. Josaphat Parish began construction of a high school on its property. Parishioner Nicholas Baiko, an engineer with the Arthur G. McKee & Co. industrial engineering firm, did the preliminary drawings. Parishioner Michael Stefanyk, an architect and engineer, completed the plans. The dome of the school was designed by Roof Structures, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri, while the architectural firm of T.A. Badowski & Associates consulted.
  Designed for 500 students, the structure was circular and features 16 one-story classrooms clustered around a central dome. The classroom ring contained administrative offices, classrooms, a library, and laboratories. The central dome was a combination auditorium, gymnasium, and theatre. The wall supporting the dome was 25 feet (7.6 m) high, and the dome rose another 48 feet (15 m) above the wall. The dome itself was 140 feet (43 m) in diameter, while the classroom ring was 211 feet (64 m) in diameter.
  The foundation consisted of reinforced concrete footers standing on bedrock. The structure had an extensive basement. Initially designed to act as a fallout shelter capable of serving 2,000 people, it was redesigned so that half the space was occupied by Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning machinery while the other half contained seven classrooms and a cafeteria. The outer wall of the classroom ring was built of brick with stone trim, while the higher inner wall was concrete block and glass brick. A hallway around the inner wall gave students access to all classrooms and the dome. Roughly halfway up the inner wall, a balcony projected into the dome. A ring of poured reinforced concrete lay atop the balcony, anchoring it to this wall. Another ring of poured reinforced concrete lay atop the wall. The base of the dome itself was made of steel plate. Each plate was 9 inches (230 mm) high and 1.5 inches (38 mm) thick, and they were both bolted and welded where they joined one another. The dome was supported by wooden ribs, each 4 by 10 inches (100 by 250 mm) in size. Manufactured in Oregon, they were curved on the top to match the arc of the dome. Thirty-two ribs were jointed with steel angle plates to the dome rim. Halfway to the dome apex, the 32 ribs were spliced into one another (again using steel angle plates) to create 16 ribs. These 16 ribs were bolted to a steel ring at the apex of the dome. Secondary wooden beams were used between the ribs to enhance the dome's stability. Tongue and groove planks, each 2 inches (51 mm) thick, were spiked to the ribs from the outside. These in turn were covered with 1 inch (25 mm) thick composite insulation board. Liquid hot asphalt was mopped onto the insulation board, building up the roof. A layer of white marble chips was impregnated into the asphalt to complete the roof. The auditorium and balcony could accommodate 1,500 people. The structure was estimated to cost $1 million ($8.56 million in 2019 dollars), with another $700,000 ($5.99 million in 2019 dollars) in labor donated free from parishioners.
  When construction began in May 1961, parish officials believed the high school would be complete in September 1962. Construction delays were numerous, however, and by June 1964 officials thought that five classrooms might open in September 1965. The building was finally completed in early 1969, and blessed by Archbishop Ambrose Senyshyn of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia on April 20, 1969.
  For various reasons, the school never opened. It was repurposed into an event center, public auditorium, public theatre, and sports venue. It was first known as St. Josaphat Auditorium, but by 1975 had been nicknamed the "St. Josaphat Astrodome" for its resemblance to the Houston Astrodome.
caption: "Astrodome"
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