Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Burlington, Vermont) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral Church of St. Paul |
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| 44°28′47.44″N 73°13′6.27″W / 44.4798444°N 73.2184083°W | |
| Location | 2 Cherry St. Burlington, Vermont |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| History | |
| Founded | 1830 |
| Consecrated | November 11, 1973 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Burlington Associates |
| Style | Modern |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | stressed concrete |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Vermont |
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul is an important Episcopal church located in Burlington, Vermont, United States. It serves as the main church for the Diocese of Vermont. This means it's like the "headquarters" church for all the Episcopal churches in that area.
History of St. Paul's Cathedral
The story of St. Paul's Church began in 1830. About 55 members of the Episcopal faith gathered in a hotel in Burlington. Their first church service was held on June 12, 1831, in the local courthouse.
A year later, a stone church building was completed. It was built in the Gothic Revival style. As more people joined, the church building grew too. It was made bigger three times: in 1851, 1866, and 1910. The 1910 changes happened after a fire.
In 1965, St. Paul's Church was chosen to become the cathedral for the diocese. It officially became a cathedral on May 6, 1966.
A big fire destroyed the old St. Paul's Cathedral on February 15, 1971. The fire started because of an electrical problem in the basement. At that time, the city of Burlington was working on a big project to improve the downtown area. The city offered the church a new piece of land. This new spot overlooked Lake Champlain.
Burlington Associates was chosen to design the new cathedral. Architects Thomas Cullins and William Henderson led the project. The new building was finished in 1973. It was officially dedicated on November 11, 1973.
Inside and Out: The Cathedral's Design
The new St. Paul's Cathedral is a great example of Brutalist architecture. This style often uses strong, raw materials. The cathedral is built from exposed reinforced concrete. You can see the concrete walls inside and out. The surfaces have cool textures from how the concrete was poured.
Inside, the church has furnishings made of white oak wood. There are also special panels that help with sound. The floor is made of slate. The building gets lots of natural light from skylights. A large glass wall offers amazing views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks mountains.
The church has a tall bell tower, called a campanile. This tower holds eight bells that came from the old St. Paul's. These bells were made in 1895 by the Clinton H. Meneely Bell Company. They were fixed up after the fire and put into the new tower. A ninth bell cracked during the fire. You can see it at the bottom of the tower, near the Memorial Garden.
The Memorial Garden is a peaceful area located to the east of the church. It's a place where the ashes of church members and friends are buried. The garden is surrounded by stonework. Some of these stones actually came from the old St. Paul's Cathedral.
See also
