St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral (Boise, Idaho) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Michael's Cathedral |
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| Location | Eighth and State Streets Boise, Idaho |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| History | |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Dedication | Saint Michael the Archangel |
| Consecrated | May 25, 1902 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Henry Martyn Congdon |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1900 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Idaho |
St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral is a special church in Boise, Idaho. It is called a cathedral because it is the main church for the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho. This means it's where the bishop of the Idaho Episcopal churches has their official seat.
History of St. Michael's Cathedral
The first Episcopal Church services in Boise happened in August 1864. St. Michael's Church was officially started that same year. Reverend Saint Michael Fackler helped organize it.
Two years later, in 1866, the first church building was finished. This was the very first Episcopal church in what is now Idaho, Montana, and Utah. That original building is still standing today! It was later renamed Christ Chapel and is now on the campus of Boise State University.
Women in the church helped raise money for the new cathedral. They put on concerts, dances, and other fun events. All the money they earned went towards building the church you see today.
Construction on the current cathedral started on September 7, 1899. It was completed the next year, in 1900. The church was officially dedicated on May 25, 1902, after all the building costs were paid off. The Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle House, which is connected to the church, was built in 1907.
In the past, people from St. Michael's also supported two other important places in Boise. St. Margaret's Hall was a school for girls, started in 1892. During the Great Depression, the bishop changed the school into Boise Junior College in 1932. This college later became Boise State University.
St. Luke's Hospital was also started by the church, just six months after the cathedral was dedicated. Today, it is run by a separate non-profit group. In 1976, St. Michael's Cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building.
Architecture and Design
St. Michael's Cathedral was designed by Henry Martyn Congdon, a famous church architect from New York City. A local architect named John E. Tourtellotte helped supervise the building work.
The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like the grand churches built in Europe many centuries ago. The outside of the cathedral is covered in Boise sandstone. This type of stone was often used for buildings in Boise when the city was first growing.
Inside, the roof has special wooden supports called hammerbeam trusses. These make the ceiling look very open and grand. A beautiful round window, called the Window of the Archangels, was put in the front of the church in 1945.
The corner tower, which was part of the original plan, was finished in 1949. A part of the church called the transept was added in 1976. This section sticks out from the main part of the church, making it look like a cross from above. The Tiffany window in the east transept was made around 1918. The tall, pointed top of the tower, called a spire, was added in 1980.
See also
