| Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist | |
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The Cathedral |
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| Basic information | |
| Location | 120 Broad Street Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A. |
| Geographic coordinates | 32°46′35″N 79°56′04″W / 32.7765°N 79.9345°WCoordinates: 32°46′35″N 79°56′04″W / 32.7765°N 79.9345°W |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Diocese of Charleston |
| Ecclesiastical status | Cathedral |
| Leadership | The Most Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone, D.D.,
Bishop of Charleston
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| Website | The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Patrick C. Keely
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| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Direction of facade | South |
| Year completed | 1st cathedral 1854 2nd cathedral 1907 (incomplete) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | upper-720 lower church-200 |
| Length | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Width | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Width (nave) | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Height (max) | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Spire(s) | 1 (under construction) |
| Spire height | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Materials | Connecticut tool-chiseled brownstone |
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina.
The first brownstone cathedral was built in the early 1800s and was originally named the Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar until it was burnt down by a great fire in December 1861. After being rebuilt it was re-named the Cathedral of St John the Baptist.
The Cathedral seats 720 people and is noted for its stained-glass and large organ. The Diocese is currently raising funds to renovate the Cathedral and to add a steeple and belltower to it. The spire was never built due to the lack of funds during the construction of the cathedral and its numerous renovations.
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The stained-glass windows were refurbished in December 2007. The brownstone is being refurbished, the mortor is being replaced, and the spire construction is underway. Construction is slated end in the Spring of 2010. The projected cost is slated to be around $7 million.
The bells were placed in the Cathedral tower on November 16, 2009. Together the three bronze bells form an E-major chord. These bells were cast by Christoph Paccard Bell Foundries in France. They were blessed by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone on October 15, 2009.
The Grande Organ is the Bedient Pipe Organ, Opus 22, Mechanical Action Tracker. It was originally installed in Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral, Louisville, Kentucky (built 1986). It was reinstalled in 1994 in Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Charleston, South Carolina.
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