Cathedral of All Saints
- Architect
- Robert W. Gibson
- Year
- 1888
- Style
- Gothic Revival
- City
- Albany, NY
The Cathedral of All Saints, on Elk Street, is the seat of the Episcopal Bishop of Albany and the central church of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany. Built in the Gothic style in the 1880s and designed by Robert W. Gibson, it was the first Episcopal cathedral church in the United States built expressly to be a cathedral, rather than an existing parish church elevated to that role — earning it the nickname the Pioneer Cathedral.
the building
An unfinished cathedral. The congregation was never able to complete the cathedral and the larger complex originally planned around it; once the State Education Department built its headquarters on the remainder of the block, the rest of the cathedral could never be built. Foundations laid for planned additions, including spires, still remain.
the style
Built in the Gothic style, the Cathedral of All Saints took the medieval cathedral form seriously enough to be designed from the start as a true cathedral rather than a converted parish church, a rarity in the American Episcopal Church that gave it the name Pioneer Cathedral.
More on Gothic Revivalthe architect
The cathedral was designed by Robert W. Gibson.
significance
The cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, after having already been recognized in 1970 as a contributing property to the Lafayette Park Historic District. It reported 399 members in 2023.
nearby
- New York State Education Building
- Alfred E. Smith Building
- New York State Capitol
- Albany Institute of History & Art
- Albany City Hall
- New York Court of Appeals Building