St. Mary's Basilica (Halifax, Nova Scotia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Basilica, Halifax |
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St. Mary's Basilica in 2016
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| 44°38′40″N 63°34′23.69″W / 44.64444°N 63.5732472°W | |
| Location | 5221 Spring Garden Road Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1Z3 |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | stmcathedral.com/ |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral, minor basilica |
| Consecrated | October 19, 1899 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Norman-Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Granite |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth |
| Official name: St. Mary's Basilica National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1997 |
| Official name: St. Mary's Basilica | |
| Type: | Provincially Registered Property |
| Designated: | April 4, 1984 |
| Reference #: | 00PNS0025 |
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica is a beautiful Gothic Revival Catholic church. It is located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This church is the main cathedral for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. It is also the largest Catholic church in the Archdiocese.
The church was officially opened on October 19, 1899. In 1950, Pope Pius XII gave it the special title of a basilica. St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica is famous for having the tallest granite spire in North America.
History of the Basilica
The church has grown and changed a lot over many years. It was first built from wood. Then, in 1820, a new stone building began. This design was inspired by Saint Martin in the Fields church in London.
The church was made even bigger starting in 1869. These new plans were created by Patrick Keely. He added the Gothic Revival style to the front and the tall spire. The spire also has parts that look like Norman and German designs.
The front of the church and its spire are special because they are made completely of granite. Most of this stone came from local areas. However, the three main doorways have pink granite from Aberdeen. The spire stands very tall at 189 feet (58 m).
In 1997, the basilica was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it is a very important place in Canadian history.
Halifax Explosion Damage
On December 6, 1917, the church was badly damaged by the Halifax Explosion. All of the stained glass windows broke into tiny pieces. These small glass bits became stuck in the walls.
The paintings on the walls also got wet. A blizzard came through the broken windows, causing water damage. In the 1950s, the wall murals were covered with white paint.
In June 2019, work began to fix these paintings. Workers used small tools to carefully remove the white paint. They also worked to restore the damaged parts of the paintings. This project was expected to finish in January 2020.
Cemetery
St. Peter's Cemetery is located next to St. Mary's Basilica. It is the oldest Catholic cemetery in Halifax. This cemetery was created in 1784 when the first small church was built where the basilica now stands. St. Peter's Cemetery was the main Catholic burial place in Halifax until 1843. After that, Holy Cross Cemetery became the main burial site.
See also
- List of oldest buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
- List of oldest buildings in Canada
