Cathedral of Saint Vibiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Vibiana's Cathedral |
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| Location | 214 S Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Kysor & Mathews |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate |
| Designated | May 10, 1963 |
| Reference no. | 17 |
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The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a historic building in Downtown Los Angeles. It used to be the main Catholic church for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The building first opened in 1876. For over 100 years, it was the most important church in the city.
In 1994, a big earthquake called the 1994 Northridge earthquake badly damaged the cathedral. This led to a long legal fight. The church wanted to tear down the building and build a new one. But preservationists wanted to save it because it was so old and important. In 1996, everyone agreed on a plan. The church would buy a new place nearby for a new cathedral. In return, the St. Vibiana site would go to the City of Los Angeles. The new main church, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, opened in 2002.
Today, the old cathedral building is called Vibiana. It is now a popular place for events like parties and concerts. The Little Tokyo branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is also on the same site. The 1876 cathedral building is one of the very few old buildings left from the early days of Los Angeles.
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What is the History of St. Vibiana's?
Plans to build a big church started way back in 1859. A man named Amiel Cavalier gave the land for it. The whole church complex was finished and opened in 1876. It cost about $80,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! The architects, Kysor & Mathews, also designed another famous building in Los Angeles called the Pico House.
The church was built in a style called Italianate, which looks a bit like Baroque buildings. It quickly became a famous landmark in early Los Angeles. When it first opened, it was big enough to hold one-tenth of the young town's entire population. The inside of the church was updated around 1895 with fancy onyx and marble. The outside was changed between 1922 and 1924 to give it a fresh look, inspired by old Roman designs.
How Did St. Vibiana's Get Its Name?
Pope Pius IX, the leader of the Catholic Church, chose the cathedral's name. He picked Saint Vibiana, a Christian martyr from Ancient Rome who lived in the third century. Churches often keep special items from saints. So, the remains of St. Vibiana were brought from the Catacombs of Rome. They were placed in a special golden box called a sarcophagus above the main altar.
In the 1940s, more buildings were added to the church site. These included a rectory (where priests live) and a school. The school closed in 1969 because the church could not afford to keep it open. After that, it became a home for a group of nuns called the Disciples of the Divine Master.
Why Was the Cathedral Almost Torn Down?
As Los Angeles grew, the church became too small for all the people. The archdiocese decided they needed a much bigger main church. However, people who wanted to save old buildings (preservationists) did not want them to tear down this historic landmark.
The situation got even more complicated when the 1994 Northridge earthquake caused a lot of damage to the cathedral. The church decided it was not worth fixing such a small building. So, in 1996, they started to tear it down without getting the right permits. But when the bell tower was suddenly taken apart one Saturday morning, people quickly started a "save-the-cathedral" campaign. Preservationists got a court order to stop the demolition.
The church argued they had the right to tear down their own building. But preservationists and the city wanted the church to be saved. The building was even put on a list of "11 Most Endangered Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A court said the church could not just quickly tear it down. A city councilwoman, Rita Walters, tried to remove the cathedral's historic status. This would have made it easier to tear down.
How Was the Cathedral Saved?
Finally, everyone agreed on a plan. The City of Los Angeles agreed to trade land with the church. The church got a much larger piece of land near the 101 Freeway. The church agreed, and a new main cathedral was built there. This new church, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, became the new main church for the archdiocese.
Some special items from St. Vibiana's Cathedral were moved to the new cathedral. The beautiful stained glass windows and the sarcophagus with St. Vibiana's remains were placed in the new church's crypt. Pipes from the old Austin pipe organ were also used in the new cathedral's organ. A special musical piece about Saint Vibiana was even written and performed in 1997.
The city then took over the old cathedral site. The city sold the former cathedral building to a developer named Tom Gilmore in 1999 for $4.6 million. The newer 1940s Education Building was torn down. This made space for the new Little Tokyo Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The old cathedral building finished its big renovation with a celebration on November 12, 2005. In August 2007, the heavy 3,500-pound cupola (a small dome) was put back on top of the 83-foot-tall bell tower.
The former cathedral was later renamed Vibiana. It became a popular place for many different events. These included parties after the Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2010, charity galas, parties after the Grammy Awards, and other important events. In 2016, the TV show American Idol even filmed four episodes of its final season there. In 2017, it was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "Success Stories." This means it was a place that was once in danger but was successfully saved.
Today, Amy Knoll Fraser and Chef Neal Fraser own and run Redbird | Vibiana. It is a popular place for weddings, events, and performing arts in Downtown Los Angeles.
See also
Images for kids
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Saint Vibiana's Cathedral
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St. Vibiana complex in 2006, before the cupola was returned in 2007
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St. Vibiana's in 1885
