Cathedral of St. Michael

History & Significance

Cathedral · Est. Church built 1861 (cornerstone 1860); elevated to cathedral in 1870

St. Michael's Cathedral in Springfield, Massachusetts, was built in 1861 (cornerstone laid 1860) to designs by the prominent Brooklyn-based ecclesiastical architect Patrick Keely, under pastor Rev. Michael P. Gallagher. When Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts in 1870, the church became its cathedral, with Patrick T. O'Reilly named first bishop. It remains the seat of the Diocese of Springfield and a contributing property in the National Register-listed Quadrangle–Mattoon Street Historic District.

Italianate and Federal styles (designed by Patrick Keely)

• •Seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts (diocese established 1870 by Pope Pius IX)
• •Built in 1861 (cornerstone laid 1860); designed by architect Patrick Keely
• •Became a cathedral in 1870 with the creation of the diocese; Patrick T. O'Reilly was first bishop
• •Contributing property in the Quadrangle–Mattoon Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1974)
• •Knight's Tower (120 ft) holds the Hooper Bell, cast by a relative of Paul Revere