St. Paul's Cathedral (Buffalo, New York)

St. Paul's Cathedral is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York and a landmark of downtown Buffalo, New York. The church sits on a triangular lot bounded by Church St., Pearl St., Erie St., and Main St. It was built in 1849-51 to a design by Richard Upjohn, and was believed by him to be his finest work. Its interior was gutted by fire in 1888, and was redesigned thereafter by Robert W. Gibson, and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 for its architecture.

History

In 1848, vestrymen of St. Paul's in Buffalo formed a building committee to erect a new stone church. Being familiar with architect Richard Upjohn's work through his recently completed Trinity Church in New York City, they desired no other architect for the job, and immediately engaged Upjohn for the commission.

Major structural events:;

• 1849: construction started.
• 1851: the cathedral was dedicated/consecrated.
• 1870: the spires on top of the two towers were finished.
• 1888: a fire caused by a natural gas explosion nearly destroyed the building.
• 1890: the church reopened after undergoing a renovation overseen by Robert W. Gibson.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in 1973. In 1987, the property was further declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Architecture

The cathedral has an irregular plan, whose largest component is the nave. It is built out of red Medina sandstone with an ashlar finish. The walls of the nave are supported by buttresses crowned with Gothic finials. The main tower and entrance portal are at the southwestern end; the tower rises 275 feet (84 m), with a tall steeple topped by a cross. A small tower rises 125 feet (38 m) from the north end. The interior features floors of slate and marble mosaic, with the floor around the altar made in France. The altar is of Mexican onyx, and the chancel furnishings is of oak, all designed by Robert Gibson.

Gallery

See also

• List of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States
• List of cathedrals in the United States
• List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
• National Register of Historic Places in Buffalo, New York

References

External links

• Official website
• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NY-5612, "St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, Shelton Square, Buffalo, Erie County, NY", 12 photos, 9 data pages
• Skyscraper page building entry
• Emporis building entry
• The cathedral's baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burial records, 1812-1970, are online courtesy of FamilySearch.org.

1. St. Paul's Cathedral (disambiguation)
2. St. Joseph Cathedral (Buffalo, New York)
3. St. Patrick's Cathedral (Midtown Manhattan)
4. St. Paul's Chapel
5. Cathedral of St. John the Divine
6. List of cathedrals in New York
7. St. Patrick's Old Cathedral
8. Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
9. List of cathedrals in the United States
10. Pro-cathedral
11. Timeline of Buffalo, New York
12. St. Paul the Apostle Church (Manhattan)
13. Episcopal Diocese of Western New York
14. Homeless Jesus
15. Michael Curry (bishop)
16. List of Durham University people
17. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
18. Architecture of Buffalo, New York
19. Andrew Cantrill
20. Cathedral Basilica of St. James (Brooklyn)