Grace Episcopal Cathedral (Topeka, Kansas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grace Cathedral |
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 Location in Kansas
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| 39°03′3.05″N 95°41′3.3″W / 39.0508472°N 95.684250°W | |
| Location | 701 SW 8th Ave. Topeka, Kansas |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| History | |
| Founded | 1857 (as Grace Church) |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Root & Siemens |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1910 |
| Completed | 1917 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1000 |
| Length | 160 |
| Width | 100 |
| Height | 62 |
| Other dimensions | Towers 92 feet Limestone High Altar 17 feet |
| Spire height | 33 feet |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Bells | Deagan Tower Chimes |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Kansas |
Grace Episcopal Cathedral is a famous church located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It is the main church for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. This means it's where the bishop of the diocese has their official seat.
History of Grace Cathedral
Grace Cathedral started as a small church group in 1857. A minister named Charles M. Callaway led the first service. It took place on January 20, 1857, in Constitution Hall. This building was also a general store at the time.
Two years later, services moved to another building called the Ritchie Block. In 1860, the leaders of the Kansas Episcopal churches met there. On September 9, Grace Mission officially became Grace Church. A school for young women, Bethany Place, also opened that year and was connected to the church.
A new church building was finished in 1865. It had an altar made from local walnut wood, which is still used today. In 1879, Grace Church was chosen to be the main cathedral for the Kansas Episcopal churches.
Part of the Bethany Place property was set aside in 1886 for a new cathedral. But money problems meant they couldn't build it right away. Work on the current cathedral began in 1910. The walls were finished by 1912. Bishop Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh and Dean J. P. DeBevers Kaye helped raise the last of the money needed. The main building was completed in 1917, but without its towers.
The towers and other parts of the cathedral complex were finished later. This happened under the leadership of Dean John Warren Day (1927-1957) and Dean Leslie Skerry Olsen (1957-1984).
On November 26, 1975, the cathedral was badly damaged by a fire. Services were held in the Great Hall, using the old walnut altar that had been saved. The cathedral reopened on October 1, 1978.
In recent years, the building has had many updates and repairs. A renovation of the Cloister building was finished in late 2014. It now has a two-story main entrance area. There are also plans to build a new main floor parish hall.
Architecture and Design
The architects for Grace Cathedral were Root & Siemens from Kansas City. The church is shaped like a cross, which is called a cruciform structure. It was built in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like the grand churches from the Middle Ages.
The outside of the cathedral has two tall towers. They stand on either side of the main front entrance, called the façade. These towers were designed to look like those at Magdalen College in Oxford, England. The building is covered in Kansas Silverdale limestone. This stone came from a quarry in St. Mary's, Kansas. A huge 3,000-pound block of this same stone was used to create the main altar.
The pulpit, where sermons are given, is made of sandstone. It came from an old church in England. A beautiful copper fleche (a small spire) is located where the main parts of the church cross.
Inside, the ceiling is made of oak wood trusses. These are supported by strong beams and columns with stone carvings. The church is lit by colorful stained glass windows. These windows were made by American companies, Judson Studios and Willet Hauser Studio.
The large organ was built in 1978 by Schantz Organ Company. It has 4 keyboards, 53 stops, 65 ranks, and 3,820 pipes! It has been updated and improved by Schantz and Reuter Organ Company.
See also
Images for kids
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The view from the back of the nave, looking towards the sanctuary.
