St. Paul's Cathedral

Introduction

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St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the more architecturally striking houses of worship in Birmingham. The Victorian Gothic structure was built in 1893, replacing a wood-frame church constructed in 1872. The cathedral is an excellent representation of an American version of neo-gothic architecture, featuring steeply pitched spires and gables, polished granite columnns, hanging lanterns, and an exterior with of strong contrasting colors. As the first Roman Catholic Church in Jefferson County, St. Paul's is the the "mother church" for northern Alabama. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

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St. Paul's Cathedral was built in 1893 in the Victoria Gothic style. The congregation was founded in 1872, becoming the first Catholic church in Jefferson County.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

In the late 1880s, Birmingham experienced the beginning of an economic boom, as ironmaking and real estate began to take off. This was the catalyst that enable the construction of the cathedral. In 1913, the church was designated a permanent parish. It became a co-cathedral with the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham in 1954 before being elevated to full cathedral status in 1969.

Sources

Bowsher, Alice. "St. Paul's Cathedral." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 27, 1982. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/5ba53e1f-3bd4-4556-889d-68dda19ff3bb.

"Parish History." St. Paul's Cathedral. Accessed September 25, 2017. https://stpaulsbhm.org/about/parish-history.

Photo: Gaagaagiw, via Wikimedia Commons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Saint_Paul_(Birmingham,_Alabama)#/media/File:St_Paul_05.j...