Building the Cathedral
The nine-year construction of the Cathedral of Saint Paul, the landmark that gave the neighborhood its name.
The construction of the Cathedral of Saint Paul was one of the most ambitious building projects in Minnesota's history. From the laying of the cornerstone in 1907 to the dedication in 1915, the project transformed a prominent hilltop into the site of one of America's finest church buildings and gave the surrounding neighborhood the identity it carries to this day.
The driving force behind the cathedral was Archbishop John Ireland, one of the most influential Catholic leaders in American history. Ireland arrived in Saint Paul in 1861 and rose to lead the Archdiocese of Saint Paul, which encompassed all of Minnesota. A man of enormous energy and ambition, Ireland envisioned a cathedral that would rival the great churches of Europe and proclaim the arrival of Catholicism as a major force in American life.
Ireland selected Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, a French-born architect trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, to design the cathedral. Masqueray created a plan inspired by the great Baroque and Renaissance churches of Rome, featuring a massive central dome, a cruciform floor plan, and a granite exterior that would endure for centuries.
Construction began in 1906 with the excavation of the foundation. The scale of the project was immense: the building would cover more than 175,000 square feet, rise 306 feet from ground to cross, and require millions of pounds of granite, marble, and steel. Hundreds of workers — masons, carpenters, ironworkers, and laborers — were employed throughout the nine-year construction period.
The cathedral was dedicated on March 28, 1915, with a ceremony that drew thousands of worshippers and dignitaries. Archbishop Ireland, who had championed the project for decades, presided over the dedication — one of the crowning achievements of his extraordinary career.
The interior continued to be developed for decades after the dedication. The six Shrines of the Nations, honoring the immigrant groups that built the church, were added over time. Stained glass windows, marble altars, bronze fixtures, and other decorative elements were installed gradually, funded by the contributions of the faithful.
Today, the Cathedral of Saint Paul remains an active parish church serving over 2,000 families, a venue for major civic and religious events, and the defining landmark of the neighborhood. Its dome, visible for miles across the Twin Cities, continues to serve the purpose Archbishop Ireland intended — a beacon of faith and aspiration on the Minnesota prairie.