Washington ( CNN ) -- While stone carvers chisel new pieces to repair damage inflicted on the Washington National Cathedral by an earthquake last August , fundraisers say the cathedral 's restoration fund is $ 18 million short of the repair cost . The cathedral , sometimes called `` the spiritual home for the nation , '' was perhaps the hardest-hit landmark in the capital when a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck on August 23 . The Gothic cathedral 's three towers and the carved pinnacles and embellishments that decorate them were severely affected by the earthquake . `` The repair work , which includes intricate stone carving and detailed masonry , and will require significant scaffolding and large cranes to access the damaged areas , could be completed in five years if sufficient funds are raised immediately , '' the cathedral said in a news release . Carvers are fabricating new stones from blocks of limestone taken from the original quarries in Indiana , it said . A total of $ 2 million was raised over the past six months to cover the cost of stabilizing damaged stones and protection to allow the cathedral to reopen , it said . The total repair cost , initially estimated at $ 15 million , is now expected to be more than $ 20 million , leaving another $ 18 million to be raised , it said .
Carvers are making new stones from limestone blocks from an Indiana quarry . The stone is being used to make a variety of items including the famous Stonehenge monoliths, which were made by using this technique in Britain and then shipped across Europe for use at Stonehenge. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake damaged the landmark on August 23 .