National Register of Historic Places

St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral

Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming
Listed
November 20, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74002026

About this property

St. Mary's Cathedral is the cathedral and parish church in the Diocese of Cheyenne located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Reverend William Kelly founded the parish as St. John the Baptist in 1867 and erected a frame church. Ten years later, a brick structure replaced it. After Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Cheyenne in 1887 the church was rededicated to St. Mary. The congregation outgrew the brick church and Bishop James J. Keane, third bishop of Cheyenne, started plans to build a new cathedral and bishop's residence. Construction of the new cathedral began in 1906. The architectural firm of Fisher and Lowery from Omaha designed the building. Bishop Keane and the Reverend James A. Duffy acquired the necessary funds and a site for construction. An estimated 5,000 people attended the laying of the cornerstone on Sunday, July 7, 1907. Prominent Wyoming builder Moses Patrick Keefe was responsible for constructing the cathedral. The sandstone for the exterior was quarried at Iron Mountain, north of Cheyenne. On January 31, 1909, Bishop Maurice Burke of St. Joseph, Missouri, who had been the first bishop of Cheyenne, consecrated the cathedral. Bishop John Carroll of Helena, Montana delivered the sermon. The 135-by-70-foot (41 by 21 m) cathedral is in the Gothic Revival style and features two side galleries and a rear organ loft. The ceiling is supported by steel and concrete arches faced with oak. The total construction costs equaled $125,000, and the building was debt-free when completed. The stained glass windows are donated memorials crafted in Europe. The large Madonna window in the organ loft was a gift of the Knights of Columbus. Parish records do not contain information about the artists or installation dates. In 1962, the parish added a structure east of the cathedral to house meeting and activity rooms at a cost of $200,000. The Visser-Rowland Organ Company constructed its Opus 92 for the cathedral in 1991. The instrument features 38 stops and 53 ranks and was dedicated in March, 1992. Media related to St. Mary's Cathedral (Cheyenne, Wyoming) at Wikimedia Commons Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne Official Site Archived 2018-12-31 at the Wayback Machine

Location

2107 Capitol Ave.
Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming
41.13762, -104.81799

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral

This page lists St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

McCormick, Lulu, Junior High School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Federal Office Building-Cheyenne
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lafrentz, Ferdinand, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Governor's Mansion
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral listed on the National Register?

St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1974.

What type of historic resource is St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral?

St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral?

The period of significance for St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Laramie County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Laramie County.

Explore LaramieCounty ›

More historic places in Wyoming

Browse all historic places in Wyoming.

View Wyominghistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Wyoming history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Wyominghistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report