By the world’s standards, most of the religious buildings in the United States are young. Yet some churches in major cities are elaborate in design, symbolism and décor as shown in this small sample of photos.
By the world’s standards, most of the religious buildings in the United States are young. Yet some churches in major cities are elaborate in design, symbolism and décor as shown in this small sample of photos.
In 1609, John Smyth formed the English Baptist Church and the American version arrived in Rhode Island in 1638. As it spread south through missionary societies, tension grew over slavery until the Southern Baptist Convention emerged in 1845. This First Baptist Church in Alabama, Montgomery, was formed in 1829. In 1861, its pastor spoke at Jefferson Davis’s inauguration as President of the Confederate States. This sanctuary was dedicated in 1923. Their community conducts international missions to Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Africa, Thailand and Central Asia.
Scott St. & S Perry St, Montgomery, AL 36104
The Coachella Valley has been the seasonal home of movie stars for decades. So it is not surprising this church was inspired by a film. In 1972, Franco Zeffirelli directed “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” The movie is about Saint Francis of Assisi. A religious advisor on set was Reverend Peter Brennan. The two men recreated the movie version of the Italian, Romanesque church in La Quinta. In 1984, the first mass at Saint Francis of Assisi Church was attended by Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant and Roger Moore.
47225 Washington St, La Quinta, CA 92253
The interior of the Cathedral of Christ the Light is almond shaped. This has been called vesica piscis or fish bladder because the overlapping wood panels resemble fish scales. Above the sanctuary is the Omega Window with a 58 foot hologram-like image of Christ. The $175 million Oakland Cathedral opened in 2008. It replaced the St. Francis de Sales Cathedral that was destroyed by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.
2121 Harrison St Oakland, CA 94612
In the Capitol Hill district of Denver is the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. In 1993, Pope John II delivered Mass in this century-old, Roman Catholic church. The outside is French Gothic style with two, 210 foot spires. Inside, 75 stained-glass windows bathe the Stations of the Cross with beautiful light. This is the ninth sculpture depicting when Jesus falls for the third time.
1530 Logan St, Denver, CO 80203
Henry Flagler was a co-founder of Standard Oil, the “father” of Miami and Palm Beach plus a major benefactor for St. Augustine. In 1889, while building the Ponce de León Hotel (now Flagler College), his daughter Jennie Louise died during childbirth. The tragic event became the impetuous for creating the Memorial Presbyterian Church. The Venetian Renaissance design resembles St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. When Henry Flagler died in 1913, he was interred in a mausoleum beside his daughter and first wife.
32 Sevilla St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
The Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in Kīlauea was founded in 1888 by an English bishop but it wasn’t until 1941 that a small, lava stone church was consecrated. Surrounding it is a graveyard with parishioners who died since the late 19th century. Inside are ten exquisite stained glass windows with images of Christ’s life from birth until this one of the ascension. They were crafted in England in 1935.
Kilauea Rd & Kolo Rd, Kilauea, HI 96754
The Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington, Illinois, dates back to 1882. Initially, the congregation attended services in a shoe store. Their first temple was built in 1889. This second one, constructed in 1959, now serves 110 families. The namesake is Moses Montefiore. He was a Jewish Englishman. After a successful business career, he became a philanthropist and humanitarian by dedicating his life and wealth to distressed Jews in Europe and other oppressed countries. Montefiore also created residential settlements in Jerusalem and Palestine plus donated money for Jewish education, industry and health. He died at the age of 100 in 1885, three years after this congregation was formed.
315 N Prairie St, Bloomington, IL 61701
Italian born Father Samuel Mazzuchelli is credited with establishing over 30 Catholic parishes and building 20 churches in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa between 1830 and 1864. The priest has been declared Venerable, the first step towards becoming a saint. One of those churches is Saint Mary of the Assumption in Iowa City. It was originally called “Of the Visitation” when construction began in 1841. After the church was finished in 1869, the German and Irish immigrants sat on separate sides of the aisle in front of their own countries’ patron saint.
228 E Jefferson St, Iowa City, IA 52245
Thirteen charter members organized the First Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Kansas, back in 1870. Their first brick church served the community from 1876 until 1906 when plans for the existing structure were created. Interestingly, the numbers three and eight dominate the building’s design and furnishings. Three represents the Holy Trinity and eight refers to the number of people saved from the flood in Noah’s ark.
525 N Broadway St, Wichita, KS 67214
The original equestrian sculpture of Joan of Arc by Emmanuel Frémiet was commissioned by the French Republic’s first president, Napoleon III, in 1874. The famous artwork is in Place des Pyramids, Paris. Similar versions of this gilded bronze statue, called Jeanne d’Arc, are in Nancy, France, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (see Statue gallery), Portland, Oregon and Melbourne, Australia. In New Orleans, she is called the Maid of Orléans and is located in the French Quarter next to the French Market. This was a gift from the people of France in 1958.
914 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
The name of the First Parish Church is very appropriate, especially when you learn their past. Fishermen were the earliest Europeans to live in this area in 1633. In 1658, the land was claimed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They named the village Falmouth. These colonists founded a congregation in 1674, the forerunner of this church. After the settlement was destroyed twice – first by the Abenaki people in 1676 and then by the French in 1690 – the colony was abandoned for over a decade. This parish restarted in 1718. They built three successive churches during the 18th century. The 1740 version, called Old Jerusalem, withstood a bombardment of British cannonballs in 1775. Today’s granite facade was finished in 1826. The Simon Willard clock tower dates back to 1802. Miraculously, the First Parish Church was one of the few surviving structures of the city-wide fire in 1866. In short, the First Parish Church is a mirror of Portland’s history.
425 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101
In the Yard of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is the Chapel. Its 121 foot copper dome is considerably more impressive than the nearby state capitol building. The “Father of the US Navy,” John Paul Jones, is buried in a crypt here. It was built in 1908, a year after the song “Anchors Aweigh” became the Naval Academy’s official song.
Garden Rd & Truxtun Rd Annapolis, MD 21401
On the left is the Mother Church of the Christian Science Church in Boston, Massachusetts. This granite domed structure with a 126 foot steeple is called the Extension and was added to the complex in 1906. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, is seen across the Christian Science Plaza reflection pool. In the background is the historic Back Bay neighborhood.
210 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115
When plans were announced for the new John Hancock Tower in the late 1960s, public protests demanded that the new skyscraper be redesigned so as not to cast a permanent shadow over the Trinity Church in Copley Square. However, the blue windows of Boston’s tallest building provide an interesting reflection of the neighboring church that was built 99 years before.
206 Clarendon St, Boston, MA 02116
Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, the architect who designed the Basilica of St. Mary, also created the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The two churches are co-cathedrals for the Roman Catholic diocese in the Twin Cities. This exquisite classic revival structure was built with white Vermont granite. It has twin bell towers reaching 116 feet and is topped by a copper dome. In 1926, it became the first basilica in the United States.
88 17th St N, Minneapolis, MN 55403
It took 76 years to install the 41.5 million pieces of glass into the mosaics adorning the 83,000 square feet of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The world’s largest mosaic contains more than 7,000 colors. The word “impressive” is an understatement. The arches supporting the domes have religious scenes ranging from Adam and Eve to the Ascension of Jesus, plus images of American saints.
4431 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108
There are 59 beautiful stained-glass windows in the Cathedral of Saint Helena in Helena, Montana. 37 of them tell the story of the Catholic Church from Adam and Eve through the early 20th century, including this Crucifixion of Christ. They were designed and installed by a firm in Munich. Construction of this Gothic style cathedral started in 1908.
530 N Ewing St, Helena, MT 59601
The third largest university chapel in the world is at Princeton University. The church was finished in 1928 and replaced the Marquand Chapel after it was destroyed by fire in 1920. The campus had a long-standing religious tradition. For 136 years after the College of New Jersey was founded in 1746 as a ministry school, students were required to attend prayers twice a day. Students strongly disapproved of the ritual. So, according to legend, they protested with pranks like bringing a cow into the chapel’s pulpit before the 5:00 a.m. service.
William St & Co Rd 571, Princeton, NJ 08544
From 1519 to 1821, the land west of the Mississippi was New Spain. In 1793, during the Spanish rule, this church in Old Town Plaza was called San Francisco Xavier. It was renamed San Felipe de Neri by the Duke of Albuquerque. This honored Philip V, the former King of Spain. It looks similar to the Collegiate Church in Xàtiva. This town in eastern Spain was burned down by Philip V during the War of Spanish Succession and then also called San Felipe.
San Felipe de Neri Church, 2005 North Plaza NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
Mesilla, New Mexico, became a town when the area was considered “No Man’s Land” during a Mexico and U.S. border dispute in 1851. The same year, the San Albino mission was formed. Thirty years later, Billy the Kid was tried, found guilty and sentenced to hang for murdering Sheriff Brady. These historic events are retold in shops surrounding Mesilla Plaza and anchored by the Basilica of San Albino. Dedicated in 1908, the church was declared a minor basilica by the Holy See 100 years later. This statue of the Virgin Mary stands in front of its brick façade and leaded, stained-glass windows.
2070 Calle De Santiago, Mesilla, NM 88046
When Santa Fe, New Mexico, was founded in 1610, its name in English was The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi. Therefore, it was appropriate the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi was placed downtown in 1886. The structure was built with yellow sandstone blocks in a Romanesque Revival style. This western entrance features arches, columns, a rose window and two towers. The statue of the patron saint of animals was added in 1967.
131 Cathedral Pl, Santa Fe, NM 87501
After passing through the narthex and entering the nave of the Duke University Chapel in Durham, North Carolina, look up at the oak gallery and marvel at the 1976 Flentrop Pipe organ. It is beautiful! Also called the Benjamin Duke Memorial Organ, the musical instrument is 40 feet tall, contains over 5,000 pipes, is made from African mahogany and is gilded with gold. A brief concert is played on most weekdays at 12:30.
401 Chapel Dr, Durham, NC 27708
The exterior of Saint Peter in Chains Catholic Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio, is stunning. The building features 12 Corinthian columns supporting the portico and a 220 foot limestone spire. The inside of this 1845 church is more impressive. Again, the Greek columns are a main architectural theme along with murals and a huge bronze door. Most impressive, however, is the gold mosaic behind the altar. It is 35 x 40 feet made from thousands of glass and stone pieces. On the lower left side is a depiction of St. Peter being released from prison chains, a reflection of the church’s name.
325 W 8th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
In 1868, Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of Columbus while a new church was under construction. In recognition of its new status, the partial building was torn down and this more elaborate, Gothic Revival design was completed in 1872. It is constructed primarily of sandstone and limestone. These natural materials glow in the sunlight with hues of amber, cream and yellows. Columbus’s first bishop, Bishop Rosecrans, was largely responsible for building this magnificent structure. However, one day after the Cathedral’s consecration, he died and was subsequently buried below the main altar.
212 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dayton, Ohio, was built in 1988 using a Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne style with a limestone façade. The architect was Charles Williams. He was responsible for about a dozen Dayton buildings starting in 1882. The church closed in 1996 and, for a while, was planned to be converted into a retirement home for priests and nuns. However, in 2002, based on a program called, “A New Home for Worship,” the building became a Vietnamese Catholic church.
217 W 4th St, Dayton, OH 45402
Located in Toledo, Ohio, this Byzantine structure became the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in 1920 and a Cathedral in 1987. It now serves the religious and community needs of 450 families. During their Annual Greek-American Festival in early September, they also serve many types of wonderful gourmet Greek food, plus offer cooking demonstrations, live music and dancing. So, if you love Greek food, you won’t want to miss this event. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
802 N Superior St, Toledo, OH 43604
Inspired by “The Turner Diaries,” Timothy McVeigh detonated 4,800 pounds of fertilizer at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City at 9:02 on April 19, 1995. The blast killed 168, injured 680 and damaged 324 buildings. Across the street from the Oklahoma City National Memorial and behind St. Joseph’s Old Cathedral is an Italian marble statue called, “And Jesus Wept.” While holding His face in sorrow, He is turned away from the tragedy. The memorial is surrounded by pillars representing the children and unborn babies that were killed.
NW 5th St. & N Harvey Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
In 1784, the founding bishop of American Methodism, Francis Asbury, created Circuit Riding. It required pastors to travel by horseback across the vast emerging frontier. Some preaching circuits took six weeks to complete one rotation. By 1839, there were over 3,500 traveling preachers. Bishop Asbury is one of the equestrian, terra-cotta statues on the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Another is the first, U.S. born Methodist bishop, William McKendree. The 1929 building is a stunning, Art Deco design. On top of the limestone and granite façade is a 225 foot, glass and metal tower with a stylized sculpture of praying hands at the pinnacle.
1301 S Boston Ave, Tulsa, OK 74119
The stunning highlight inside the North Visitors’ Center is an 11 foot replica of Christus. The 12,000 pound statue is enhanced by a circular painting of the universe. The original Christ with outstretched arms was carved from white Carrara marble by Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1821. That sculpture is at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark. This facsimile arrived at Temple Square in 1966. Additional copies of Christus are displayed in about 20 visitor centers at LDS Church compounds across the world.
North Visitors' Center, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT 84150
John the Evangelist, was one of the twelve apostles. Also known as John of Patmos, he wrote the Gospel of John, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Saint John is the namesake for the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee. The diocese’s first bishop, John Henni, led the construction until it was finished in 1853. Twenty-two years later, Milwaukee became an Archdiocese and Henni an Archbishop. A new Renaissance tower was built in 1893. It was partially burnt in 1935 and restored by 1943. This cathedral remains a gorgeous legacy to early Catholic parishioners in Wisconsin.
812 N Jackson St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
St. Josaphat Basilica in Milwaukee is one of several Catholic churches in the Great Lakes and middle Atlantic regions designed in the “Polish Cathedral Architectural Style.” They tend to be large, ornate and served Polish immigrants. This one, built in 1901, was patterned after Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica. The church was built using stones from the demolished Chicago Federal Building. It is crowned by a massive cooper dome. Pope Pius XI designated it as a minor basilica in 1929. St. Josaphat is managed by the Franciscan Friars.
2333 S 6th St, Milwaukee, WI 53215