John Canning & Co. Receives the Honorable 2025 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Construction Award for the Restoration of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hanover, PA
Preservation Pennsylvania honors our decorative paint restoration and fine artwork conservation at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the 2025 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Construction Award
Cheshire, CT – September 2025 – John Canning & Co. is pleased to announce that it has been honored with a 2025 Preservation Pennsylvania Award for Restoration, which celebrates the Basilica’s rich history and architectural transformations with skill and craftsmanship.
Originally founded as Conewago Chapel in 1730, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the oldest Catholic Church in the United States. Its Baroque-revival interior had suffered decades of deterioration, including plaster cracks, flaking paint, and decaying woodwork. Prompting a high-priority preservation project where the initial steps focused on a full historic paint investigation, revealing original 19th-century decorative paint and fine artwork that had been hidden since the 1960s.
“This project was especially meaningful because it uncovered a chapter of history that had been hidden for decades,” said David Riccio, President of John Canning & Co. “Being recognized for our work on the Basilica reflects our commitment to revealing and preserving the beauty and significance of sacred spaces.”
The restoration project required extensive research, a historical paint analysis, and advanced technical execution. Key achievements include:
- Decorative Paint Restoration: Ensuring the original 19th-century decorative paint schemes, like the trompe l’oeil decoration, were treated with customized approaches and detailed analysis to keep visual continuity and material integrity.
- Historical Paint Investigation and Color Scheme Development: Uncovering decorative paint schemes, fine artwork, and the historic color scheme that had been overpainted for more than 60 years through large-scale exposures on the walls.
- Fine Artwork Conservation: Restoring and conserving the sanctuary ceiling, the Assumption of Mary nave ceiling, the Trinity nave ceiling, and the fine artwork in the North and South transepts.
- Fabrication and Installation of a new High Marble Altar: After the 1960s remodeling covered the original marble high altar, we designed, constructed, and installed a new marble high altar.
In 2022, our restoration work for the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, also earned the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Local Government Leadership Award from Preservation Pennsylvania. Originally built in 1909 by architect F.J. Osterling, the building had experienced decades of water damage, mold, mildew, and incompatible attempts at repairs, which impacted the historic fabric of the courthouse. The project consisted of a full-scale restoration of the decorative finishes throughout the rotunda proper and third-floor corridors. This included 125 murals being assessed, documented, and conserved. The restoration project brought back details lost to time and reinstated decorative features and artwork for all to enjoy once again.
Preservation Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth’s only statewide nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation, has recognized outstanding preservation efforts across the commonwealth with its annual awards presentations since 1979. The annual Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards provide recognition for exceptional preservation work taking place across the state.
With nearly 50 years of expertise, John Canning & Co. is a nationally recognized leader in historic restoration, conservation, and preservation. The firm specializes in ornamental plaster restoration, plaster stabilization, decorative finishes, gilding, historic woodwork, and stonework, with a dedication to "Perfecting Preservation."
About John Canning & Co.
John Canning & Co. is a national leader in historic preservation, conservation, and restoration. With a legacy spanning nearly five decades, the firm specializes in architectural gilding, decorative finishes, ornamental plaster restoration, historic stonework, and woodwork conservation. Their commitment to craftsmanship and traditional techniques ensures the preservation of historic landmarks for future generations.
