Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The cathedral is the third church on this site. The first was established in 1821 when the first Bishop of Charleston, Bishop John England, bought the property, which was occupied by a small house. The house served as a temporary chapel and was named St. Finbar, the patron saint of Cork, Ireland. Construction of the second church began in 1850 and it was completed four years later and named the Cathedral of St. John & St. Finbar. The large church had seats for around 1,200 worshippers.

Unfortunately, the church was mostly destroyed in the 1861 Charleston fire that leveled much of the city. Construction of the present church, which rests on the foundation of the 1854 church, did not begin until 1890. Lack of funds and other delays prevented delayed its completion until 1907. It is almost identical to the previous church but is a little larger. The windows feature stained glass, the pews are made of carved Flemish oak, and the three altars are made of white Vermont marble. The cathedral also features four chapels. It has been renovated a number of times including most recently between 2007 and 2010. This work included the addition of the steeple, which was not built originally due to lack of funds.

"122 Broad Street (Cathedral of St. John the Baptist)." Historic Charleston Foundation. Accessed April 14, 2021. https://charleston.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7DC3E30A-221A-47EC-99F9-247687504562.

"History." Cathedral of St. John the Baptists. Accessed April 14, 2021. https://charlestoncathedral.com/history.