Located on Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick’s was the first major Gothic Revival cathedral in the United States. It was during a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral that Archbishop Hughes proposed the new building, which would increase capacity and act as a public architectural monument. Many ridiculed his idea, but Hughes persisted in his vision of building the most impressive neo-Gothic cathedral in what he predicted would become the centre of New York.

This bold plan became reality when the cathedral was built between 1858 – 1879. It was designed by architect James Renwick Jr who took influences from English, French and German gothic architecture after he spent three years carrying out research in Europe.

The towering structure with its grand white marble clad exterior, dramatically stands out against its modern surroundings, acting as an integral part of New York’s rich history and heritage.

As I made my way inside the first thing which caught my eye was the wonderfully designed stained glass windows, many of which represented scenes from sacred religious writings and geometric shapes, including one of Charles Connick’s most iconic pieces, the Great Rose window. The cathedral incorporates 103 different windows in total, creating an extremely magical and mystical atmosphere.

The church holds many unique architectural features, with one of the most impressive being the intricate tracery of the ceiling design, with 32 marble columns stretching across the space.

Enjoy a visit to one of New York’s most famous historic landmarks and marvel at the largest Gothic Revival cathedral in North America!