During the First World War, Reims suffered several German bombardments. On September 19, 1914, the framework of Notre-Dame-de-Reims cathedral burned down, and the monument was heavily damaged. It took the Allies more than twenty years to restore it. Thanks to American benefactors, among others, Henri Deneux rebuilt a reinforced concrete frame inspired by the idea of Philibert Delorme, an architect from the Renaissance. He became known as the cathedral's savior and received the Legion of Honour.