Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Portland, Maine) Facts for Kids

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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


Location in Maine Show map of Maine Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Cumberland Avenue Portland, Maine
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1866
Architect	P.C. Keeley
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	85001257
Added to NRHP	June 20, 1985

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a very old and important church in Portland, Maine. It is located on Cumberland Avenue. This church is the main one for the Catholic community in the area. The current leader of the church is Father Seamus Griesbach.

This amazing building was finished in 1869. It looks like a grand castle, built in a style called Gothic Revival. The cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. For many years, until 2023, it was the tallest building in Portland! Then, a new building at 201 Federal Street became taller.

Architecture and History of the Cathedral
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Architecture and History of the Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and its other buildings take up most of a city block. This area is surrounded by Cumberland Avenue, Locust Street, Congress Street, and Franklin Street. The main church building faces Cumberland Avenue. Behind it is the parish hall. The bishop's home is next to the church, facing Congress Street.

What the Cathedral Looks Like

The church is a very impressive building made of red brick. It has special stone decorations made of sandstone and a roof made of slate. The front of the church has a main entrance that is set back. It is shaped like a tall, pointed arch, which is a common feature in Gothic style. Above this entrance, there is a large, round stained glass window called a rose window.

To the right of the main entrance, a tall tower rises up. This tower has strong corner supports and narrow, pointed windows. It ends with an eight-sided spire that reaches high into the sky. The windows along the sides of the church are also in the Gothic style. They have strong supports between them.

Inside the Cathedral

The inside of the cathedral is very large. It measures about 186 feet (56.7 meters) long and 70 feet (21.3 meters) wide. The main part of the church, called the nave, is 150 feet (45.7 meters) long. It reaches 70 feet (21.3 meters) high. This space can hold almost 1,000 people! The tallest of the cathedral's three spires is 204 feet (62.2 meters) high.

Building and Changes Over Time

Building the church began in 1866. It was designed by an architect from New York named Patrick Keely. The construction was stopped for a short time because of a big fire in Portland in 1866. The church was finally finished on September 8, 1869.

The cathedral has been repaired and updated several times. This happened in 1921, 1969, and 2000. In 1985, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. The other buildings around the cathedral also have similar Gothic-style features.

Other Buildings on the Property

To the left of the bishop's home, there is a two-story school building. This building used to be the Kavanagh K-8 School, which was connected to the church. Since 2013, this building has been used by Portland Adult Education. This is the largest adult education center in Maine.