National Register of Historic Places

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey
Listed
December 16, 1977
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
77000903

About this property

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a historic Catholic cathedral and parish church located in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. By the middle of the 1820s, there were definite indications that the local Catholic population was increasing. Coupled with the tremendous growth of Paterson industries, there was an insistent demand for skilled millhands and other types of workers. By 1870, the U.S. Census reported that Irish immigrants constituted the dominant foreign-born population in the city. The majority of the Irish, along with other immigrant classes, lived in ramshackle tenement houses within almost walking distance of the great mills. Most conspicuously, the Irish clustered about Grand Street, and this area became known as the "Dublin" section of Paterson. It was there, among the Irish-Catholic immigrants, that Father William N. McNulty began his priestly duties. Two years after arriving in Paterson to take "charge of the fortunes and spiritual welfare" of the rapidly growing Catholic population, Father McNulty entered into negotiations with the powerful industrial corporation, the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures ("S.U.M."), and in 1865 purchased from it sixteen lots on the corner of Grand and Main streets thus ensuring the future of a more larger St. John's Church (later Cathedral of St. John the Baptist). The new enterprise seemed to infuse new vigor into the members of the congregation, and the full amount of the purchase money of the real estate ($10,000) was raised in two months. Preparations were made for the construction of the new church, New York architect P. C. Keely was retained in order to develop plans "for an edifice ... unequaled in New Jersey", and on September 10, 1865, the cornerstone was laid. The church was ready for use in the summer of 1870, and a final tabulation a number of years later revealed that approximately $200,000 had been spent in the course of construction. It was raised to cathedral status when the Diocese of Paterson was established in 1937. Media related to Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Paterson, New Jersey) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey
40.91276, -74.17218

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Passaic County Court House and United States Custom House and Post Office Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Paterson City Hall
Industrial
0.3 mi
Public School Number Two
Industrial
0.3 mi
Great Falls of Paterson/S.U.M. Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cathedral of St. John the Baptist listed on the National Register?

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 16, 1977.

What type of historic resource is Cathedral of St. John the Baptist?

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cathedral of St. John the Baptist?

The period of significance for Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is recorded as the industrial era.

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