History & Significance
Cathedral · Est. Dedicated October 3, 1852 (parish roots from 1805; cornerstone blessed August 15, 1849)
The Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, Kentucky traces to a parish gathered in 1805, with roots tied to early Kentucky missionary priest Stephen Badin. The present Gothic Revival cathedral, designed by architect William Keely, had its cornerstone blessed on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15, 1849) and was dedicated October 3, 1852. Its spire, rebuilt in 1858 to a design by Henry Whitestone, rose 287 feet and was for a time among North America's tallest. It serves as the mother church and cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville.
Gothic Revival (mid-19th-century American Gothic), brick and limestone
- •Mother church and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville (elevated to an archdiocese in 1937)
- •Dedicated October 3, 1852; designed by architect William Keely in the Gothic Revival style
- •Among the oldest Catholic cathedrals in continuous use in the United States
- •Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977
- •Spire rebuilt in 1858 (designed by Henry Whitestone) rises about 287 feet
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