St. Patrick’s Cathedral: 150 Years of Inspiration
While her cornerstone was laid in 1858 and her doors swept open in 1879, it was over 150 years ago, when Archbishop John Hughes announced his inspired ambition to build the “new†Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
…Ridiculed as “Hughes’ Folly,†as the proposed, near-wilderness site was considered too far outside the city, Archbishop Hughes, nonetheless, persisted in his daring vision of building the most beautiful, Gothic Cathedral in the New World in what he believed would one day be “the heart of the city.†Neither the bloodshed of the Civil War, nor the resultant lack of manpower or funds, would derail the ultimate fulfillment of Hughes’ dream and Architect, James Renwick’s bold plan.
Through the generosity of 103 citizens who pledged $1,000 each and the collective “pennies†of thousands of largely Irish, immigrant poor, Hughes’ vision became a shining reality.
