Saint Patrick's Cathedral Complex
- Architect
- James Renwick Jr.
- Year
- 1858
- Style
- Gothic Revival
- City
- Manhattan, NY
St. Patrick's Cathedral occupies a full block on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets, directly across from Rockefeller Center, and serves as the seat of the Archbishop of New York. Designed by James Renwick Jr., it is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America, begun in 1858 to serve the growing Archdiocese of New York and to replace St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. Construction paused during the Civil War before the cathedral was completed in 1878 and dedicated in 1879.
the building
A complex built over decades. Renwick also designed the archbishop's house and rectory, added in the early 1880s, and the cathedral's spires, completed in 1888. A Lady chapel by Charles T. Mathews followed between 1901 and 1906.
Marble and stained glass. The cathedral is clad in marble and holds several dozen stained-glass windows, materials chosen to match the scale and ambition of the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America.
Consecration after debt was cleared. The cathedral was not consecrated until October 5, 1910, once all of its construction debt had been paid off, decades after ground was first broken in 1858.
the style
Renwick worked in the Gothic Revival style at a scale meant to rival the great cathedrals of Europe, producing the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America. The style's soaring forms suited a building meant to anchor the growing Archdiocese of New York.
More on Gothic Revivalthe architect
James Renwick Jr. designed the cathedral along with its archbishop's house and rectory. The spires added in 1888 and the overall complex represent one of his major sustained commissions.
significance
St. Patrick's Cathedral is a National Historic Landmark and New York City Individual Landmark (LP-00267), also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New York State Register of Historic Places, designated on 10/19/1966. It has undergone extensive restorations in the 1940s, 1970s, and 2010s.
nearby
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- 488 Madison Avenue
- 647 Fifth Avenue Building
- 451-455 Madison Avenue and 29 1/2 East 50th Street
- Cartier Building
- Villard Houses