Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Boise, Idaho)

Last updated
Cathedral of St. John
the Evangelist
St john's cathedral boise, idaho exterior.JPG
View from south in September 2009
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
USA Idaho relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
43°37′17.4″N116°11′54.9″W / 43.621500°N 116.198583°W / 43.621500; -116.198583
Location Boise, Idaho
Address775 N. 8th Street
Country United States
Denomination Catholic
Website www.boisecathedral.org
History
Status Cathedral/Parish church
Founded1870
Dedication St. John the Evangelist
DedicatedMarch 27, 1921;
103 years ago
 (1921-03-27)
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s) Tourtellotte & Hummel
Style Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking 1906
Completed1921
Specifications
Length170 feet (52 m) [1]
Width95 feet (29 m)
Nave width65 feet (20 m)
Materials Sandstone
Administration
Diocese Boise
Clergy
Bishop(s) Most Rev. Peter F. Christensen
Rector Rev. German Osorio
St. John's Cathedral
St. John's Cathedral Block
Part of Fort Street Historic District (ID82000199)
MPS Tourtellotte and Hummel Architecture TR
NRHP reference No. 78001035  (original)
82000245  (increase)
Significant dates
Designated NRHPMay 24, 1978
Designated HDNovember 17, 1982
Designated CPNovember 12, 1982 [2]

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, also known simply as St. John's Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral and parish church in the western United States, located in the state capital of Boise, Idaho. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise and the chair of the Bishop of Boise, the church building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, (lists maintained by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior). [2] It was included as a contributing property of the St. John's Cathedral Block when the rest of the parish buildings on Block 90 were also added four years later to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. [3] That same year, the parish buildings were included as a contributing property in the surrounding neighborhood of the Fort Street Historic District. [4]

Contents

History

An early photo of the cathedral Early picture of st. john's cathedral boise, idaho.jpg
An early photo of the cathedral

The first Roman Catholic Church parish / congregation in the territorial capital city of Boise was dedicated on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1870, but was destroyed in an unfortunate fire only 18 days later. [5] Another replacement wood-frame structure was soon built that would serve the local Roman Catholic population of the faithful as the designated cathedral of the Vicariate Apostolic of Idaho, which was established and organized on the authority of the Church hierarchy in Rome, 13 years later on March 5, 1883, and its subsequent elevation a decade later as the current Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise and the ordination / consecration of the first Bishop of Boise, after it was established on August 25, 1893. [6] The Church and cathedral was located on the northwest corner of Ninth and Bannock Streets. [7] As the city grew, continuing as the state capital of the new 43rd state being admitted to the federal Uniin on July 3, 1890. But soon a larger worship space / cathedral was needed and the Bishop of Boise Alphonse Glorieux purchased property in the city bounded by Fort, Hays, Eighth, and Ninth Streets. He laid the cornerstone for the present cathedral in 1906. So as not to be a financial drain on the parish, the church building was built in stages. After the lower level was completed the parish worshiped there. The walls and roof were completed in 1912, and the cathedral was completed in 1921 during the episcopate of Bishop of Boise Daniel Gorman (1867–1927, served 1918–1927), who dedicated it on March 27, Easter Sunday.

The rectory behind the cathedral was completed in 1906 for then $12,000 as the Bishop Glorieux house. The 2½-story Tudor Revival structure features large gabled dormers, exposed rafters under all of the lateral eaves, a stone foundation, brick veneer and stone quoins on the first floor, and half-timbering on the second floor.

The present school building, called St. Joseph's School, was completed in 1925. The two-story brick structure was built for $35,000. [3] The gymnasium was added to the school building 23 years later in 1948. It is a two-story concrete structure. The school's name memorializes old St. Joseph's church in Idaho City, which was destroyed by fire in 1867. It was the first Roman Catholic Church parish in the area of the old federal Idaho Territory (1863–1890). [8]

Architecture

Detail of the cathedral apse in 2009 St. john's cathedral boise, idaho interior.JPG
Detail of the cathedral apse in 2009

St. John's Cathedral was designed by one of the first architectural firms to work in Boise, Tourtellotte & Hummel. Built in the Romanesque Revival style, the architects used the Cathedral of Mainz in western Germany and the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse as their inspiration. [9] The exterior is Boise Sandstone, quarried just above the city at Table Rock. The building is cruciform in shape and measures 170 feet (52 m) from front to back, 95 feet (29 m) at the transepts and 65 feet (20 m) in the nave. [1]

The building was designed to have two towers topped with spires flanking the main façade, but they remain incomplete. A rose window graces the front of the church and the center gable above the main entrance features a statue of St. John the Evangelist on its peak. Corbeling, a continuous band of small projecting arches, encircles the building at the roofline. A fléche rises above the crossing.

The stained glass windows in the nave depict scenes from the life of Christ. The large window in the north transept depicts the Adoration of the Magi, flanked by windows portraying Saint Alphonsus Ligouri and Saint Theresa of Avila. The south transept window depicts the Ascension and is flanked by windows portraying Saint Patrick and Saint Rita. The windows in the sanctuary depict Saint Joseph on the north and the Blessed Virgin Mary on the south. In the apse are windows portraying the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They are flanked by windows portraying the Four Evangelists. Although some of the art glass was installed by the Intermountain Glass Company of Boise, the stained glass windows were designed and installed by the John J. Kinsella Company of Chicago in 1920, [10] except the window portraying the Holy Spirit in the center of the apse, which was installed in 1979. Saint Cecilia is depicted in the window above the pipe organ.

The 3-manual, 2900-pipe organ was installed by Tellers-Kent in 1921. At the time, composer Frederick Fleming Beale, professor of music at the College of Idaho, was organist and choir director. [11]

Restoration and Remodel

The architecture of the building
features Romanesque Revival St John's cathedral boise, idaho front steps.JPG
The architecture of the building
features Romanesque Revival

The interior of the church had a major cleaning in 1952 and in 1960, another remodeling plan took place and the parish decided to continue to work with the Hummel family, hiring Charles Hummel, grandson of original designer Charles F. Hummel. Hummel also worked on the 1979 restoration, focusing on four main ideas. He wanted to restore all the stained glass windows that illustrate the stories of the saints, create more seating for the different groups of people who would come to the cathedral for ceremonies, celebrations, and worship, renew the canvas accents and designs in the interior, and bring in tasteful modern lighting fixtures which accented the classic renaissance look but accommodated to the needs of the citizens. To accomplish such ideas, Hummel had to make some radical changes to the cathedral's interior. He also made sure important architectural details were not changed during the remodel. These details include the decorative gargoyles that metaphorically hold the weight of the church on their backs as a punishment for their sins, and the windows he restored.

To celebrate the church's centennial, Rob Thornton took on the job of remodeling the downstairs chapel. Not wanting to tread on the shoes of Hummel's original artistry, Thornton worked with him on the project. He took the plaster off the walls to expose the stone beneath but kept a section of the wood paneling that Hummel added in 1979. Thornton also added a dome-shaped hole in the ceiling of the chapel. Thornton not only worked on the chapel in the lower level but on the reception hall as well. He took out the brown carpeting, exposed the stone on the walls, and created more space. The baptismal font was redesigned as a pool and the former font was repurposed as an ambry to hold the holy oils. A reservation altar for the tabernacle was created in the south transept. The canopy was from the former high altar. St John's received an Orchid Award in 1981 from the Idaho Historic Preservation Council for outstanding work in restoration. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Saint Patrick (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)</span> Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick is a cathedral of the Catholic Church in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Harrisburg and is the seat of its bishop. It is a contributing property in the Harrisburg Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Idaho, USA

The Diocese of Boise is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in Idaho in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salford Cathedral</span> Catholic cathedral in Salford, Greater Manchester, England

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, usually known as Salford Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral on Chapel Street in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Salford and mother church of the Diocese of Salford, and is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (Providence, Rhode Island)</span> Historic church in Rhode Island, United States

The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Cathedral Square neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Providence. The Neo-Romanesque church was designed in 1873 by Patrick Keely and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alphonse Joseph Glorieux</span> Catholic bishop

Alphonse Joseph Glorieux, from the Glorieux de la Haverie family, was a Belgian, born in the Kingdom of Belgium, a missionary and prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Boise in Idaho from 1893 for 24 years until his death in 1917. He previously served as the designated vicar apostolic from 1885 to 1893 for the old federal Territory of Idaho, in the territorial capital city of Boise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Saint Joseph (Wheeling, West Virginia)</span> Historic church in West Virginia, United States

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling or Saint Joseph's Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. In addition to being the seat of the bishop, the cathedral is home to the oldest congregation in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. The cathedral is a contributing property to the East Wheeling Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> Church in Iowa, United States

St. Ambrose Cathedral is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It serves as a parish church and as the seat of the Diocese of Des Moines in the Catholic Church. The cathedral, along with the adjoining rectory, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Catholic Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

St. Mary Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry Cathedral</span> Church in United Kingdom, Northern Ireland

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Colman or Newry Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Newry, Northern Ireland. It acts as the seat of the Bishop of Dromore, and the Mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dromore. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 200,000 people visited the cathedral each year. The cathedral sits on Newry's Main Street and is a Grade A listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Cathedral (Lafayette, Louisiana)</span> Historic church in Louisiana, United States

The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist or La Cathédrale St-Jean, originally called l'Église St-Jean du Vermilion, is the cathedral and mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. It was the first parish in Lafayette Parish—founded in 1821—and was designated cathedral upon the erection of the diocese in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Anthony's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

St. Anthony's Catholic Church is a parish church in the Diocese of Davenport. The parish complex is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States, at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets. It is the first church congregation organized in the city of Davenport and the second Catholic congregation, after St. Raphael's in Dubuque, in the state of Iowa. The parish buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church Complex in 1984. The designation includes the church and the former school building, which is the parish's original church building and the oldest standing church building in Iowa. The designation also included the rectory, which was partially torn down in 2009. The complex was also listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1992 as St. Anthony's Church Square. The property has been known historically as Church Square. In 2020 the parish buildings, except for the parish center, were included as contributing properties in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District. Because of its recent construction date, the parish center is excluded as a contributing property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hummel Architects</span> American architectural firm

Hummel Architects PLLC is an American architectural firm based in Boise, Idaho. Its history extends back to 1890, when architect and contractor John E. Tourtellotte (1869-1939), of Massachusetts established himself in Boise. The firm is best remembered for the work it completed from 1910 to 1942 under the partnership / firm name of Tourtellotte & Hummel, joining with Charles Hummel, including the Idaho State Capitol in Boise,. From 1922 until 2002 it was led by three successive generations of the Hummel family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption (Covington, Kentucky)</span> Historic church in Kentucky, United States

The Roman Catholic St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, is a minor basilica in the United States. Construction of the cathedral began under the Diocese of Covington's third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, in 1895 to replace an 1834 frame church that was inadequate for the growing congregation. Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the rank of minor basilica on December 8, 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral (Indianapolis)</span> Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at Fourteenth and Meridian Streets in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and of the Archbishop of Indianapolis, most recently Archbishop Charles C. Thompson. Silas Chatard, the first Bishop of Indianapolis, established the cathedral parish in 1892, and named it after Saint Peter and Saint Paul, two apostles of Christ. The cathedral parish became known for its liturgical celebrations and sacred music performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The parish's origins date to 1837, when it was first named Holy Cross parish. In 1850 it was renamed Saint John the Evangelist parish, and is the oldest Catholic parish in the city and in Marion County, Indiana. Considered the mother of the Catholic parishes in Indianapolis, it played an important role in development of the Catholic Church in the city. Saint John's Church served as the pro-cathedral of the diocese from 1878 until 1906; its rectory served as the bishop's residence and chancery from 1878 until 1892. In 1900 the church served as the site of first episcopal consecration held in Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James Basilica (Jamestown, North Dakota)</span> Historic church in North Dakota, United States

St. James Basilica is a Latin Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Fargo as well as a minor basilica located in Jamestown, North Dakota, United States. A previous church building, completed in 1882, served briefly as a cathedral in the 19th century. The present church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as St. James Catholic Church, and it was elevated to a minor basilica in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Catholic Church (Boise, Idaho)</span> Historic church in Idaho, United States

St. Mary's Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in Boise, Idaho, in the West Central Deanery of the Diocese of Boise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral (Boise, Idaho)</span> Historic church in Idaho, United States

St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral in Boise, Idaho, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Joseph's Cathedral, Rockhampton</span> Church in Queensland, Australia

St Josephs Cathedral is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic cathedral at 170 William Street, Allenstown, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1893 to 1982. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The cathedral serves as the seat for the Bishop of Rockhampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blessed Sacrament Church (Buffalo, New York)</span> Church in New York , United States

Blessed Sacrament Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Buffalo, New York, United States. Constructed in the late 19th century, it remains the home of an active congregation and has been recognized as a historically significant building in the Linwood Historic District of Buffalo.

References

  1. 1 2 Hibbard, Don. "St. John's Cathedral". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-12-31. with photo
  2. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "St. John's Cathedral Block". National Park Service . Retrieved 2017-12-31. with photos
  4. Lichtenstein, Susanne. "Fort Street Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  5. "Shaping Boise: A Selection of Boise's Landmark Buildings" (PDF). City of Boise. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  6. "Diocese of Boise". Catholic-Hierarchy . Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  7. "History of the Cathedral". Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Archived from the original on 2013-05-03. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  8. 1 2 StanWiens, Doug. "St John's Cathedral". Idaho Architecture Project. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  9. "History and Architecture of the Cathedral". Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Archived from the original on 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  10. "Sanctuary Windows Notable". Idaho Statesman . Boise. May 29, 1921. p. 2.
  11. "Fine Cathedral Organ". Idaho Statesman. Boise. May 29, 1921. p. 3.