[BipolarBob]

I think that was a support beam they jackhammered instead of an ornamental one.

[Dr. Franklin]

I think that was a support beam they jackhammered instead of an ornamental one.

More likely an arch collapsed. I've been in old buildings where they add steel to support a vault, or if it can't be safely reinforced, they just add more masonry under the arch as a buttress. The latter is as pretty as the original, but safer. Someone miscalculated the state of the architecture.