Bryn Athyn Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bryn Athyn Cathedral |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | General Church of the New Jerusalem (New Church) |
| Location | |
 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Funded by | John Pitcairn Jr. |
| Groundbreaking | 1913 |
| Completed | 1928 |
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Official name: Bryn Athyn Cathedral | |
| Type | Roadside |
| Criteria | Religion |
| Designated | September 10, 1947 |
| Parent listing | Bryn Athyn Historic District |
| Location | Huntingdon Pike (PA 232) in Bryn Athyn at Cathedral |
| Marker Text | This Swedenborgian center is noted architecturally. Buildings in 14th-century Gothic and 12th-century Romanesque styles. Built by cooperative craft guilds in medieval way. Endowed by John Pitcairn. |
| Website | |
| Bryn Athyn Cathedral | |
The Bryn Athyn Cathedral is a beautiful church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. It's near Philadelphia and looks like old European cathedrals. This special building is the main church for the General Church of the New Jerusalem. This church group follows the ideas of Emanuel Swedenborg.
The cathedral's main part looks like early Gothic architecture. Other buildings nearby mix Gothic and Norman architecture styles. The outside of the cathedral reminds people of Gloucester Cathedral in England. Bryn Athyn is also home to a high school, a college, and a library connected to the church.
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Building the Cathedral
The Bryn Athyn Cathedral was built between 1913 and 1928. The first ideas for its design came from an architecture firm in Boston. William Fredrick Pendleton, a church bishop, and John Pitcairn Jr., a wealthy businessman, started the project. John Pitcairn Jr. gave the land and most of the money for the cathedral.
A Unique Way to Build
John Pitcairn's son, Raymond Pitcairn, took over the project. He wanted the artists and builders to work directly for the church. He believed that workers should be able to share ideas and make changes as they built. This led to some very unusual building methods.
Instead of just using blueprints, the team made small models of almost every part. Raymond Pitcairn and the workers could study these models. They would change and improve their ideas before building the real thing.
Planned Imperfections
Another interesting thing about the cathedral is that it has planned differences. Some parts are not perfectly even or symmetrical. Raymond Pitcairn learned that old medieval buildings often had these "imperfections" on purpose. So, they added them to the Bryn Athyn Cathedral too.
Amazing Stained Glass
The stained glass windows at Bryn Athyn Cathedral are very special. The builders brought back an old medieval way of making stained glass. They melted different colors and metals into the glass itself. Then, glass blowers made disks of glass with different thicknesses and brightness.
The first glass was made in 1922, and the last in the 1940s. However, all the windows were not finished until the 1960s. The windows have three main types of designs:
- Large pictures of people from the Bible.
- Small pictures showing events from the life of Christ or Old Testament stories.
- grisaille windows, which are geometric designs. These windows are almost clear and let a lot of light into the cathedral.
Most of the metal used in the cathedral is a special kind called Monel.
Cathedral Towers and Halls
The Ezekiel Tower is south of the main 150-foot tower. It was built between 1920 and 1926. The Choir Hall and Michael Tower are to the north of the main cathedral. This part was finished in 1929. Even though it was built last, its style looks like the earliest period of architecture.
Right next to the college and the cathedral is the Glencairn Museum. This building used to be Raymond Pitcairn's home. It looks like a castle and now holds a collection of religious art from all over the world. Anyone can visit it.
The Bryn Athyn Cathedral is part of the Bryn Athyn Historic District. This district was named a special historic place in 2008.
See also
- Swedenborgianism
- The New Church
- Bryn Athyn College
Images for kids
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Pennsylvania State Historical Marker
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Bryn Athyn Cathedral
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Bryn Athyn Cathedral
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Bryn Athyn Cathedral
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