[192] In 2017, MBB Architects and Structure Tone, Landmark Facilities Group, and P.W. [24][222] The ceiling has holes with diameters of 1.5 inches (38mm); ropes could be threaded through these holes to allow repairs and cleaning. [106] The cathedral tested a set of four bells in the north tower in July and August 1889 to determine the tower's acoustic properties.

[24][48] The exterior is clad in marble quarried in Lee, Massachusetts, and Pleasantville, New York. : Description of the Edifice. [114] Also in 1897, the Spiritual Sons of De La Salle funded a new altar for the cathedral. [82], The cathedral's parish originally extended from Seventh Avenue to the East River between 46th and 59th Streets, and the section between Madison and Sixth Avenues extended to 42nd Street. [184] The project was conducted between 2012 and 2015 at a cost of $177 million. The name of the bell, its donor, and the figure of the crucifixion is carved on each respective bell. [148] The rectory retained some original design features such as its black-walnut fireplace mantels. [314] Grady was succeeded by John-Michael Caprio, who also served until his death, in 1997. [103] The chapels include one for St. Bernard and St. [111][112] The framework for the bells was installed in the north tower the next month. [281][282] The Gothic-style building is three and a half stories high and is also clad with white marble. [284], As of 2015[update], Cardinal Dolan shares the archbishop's house with three other priests. The blocks were so closely laid that, decades after the cathedral's completion, no cracks had formed in them. Mullions divide each of these windows vertically into three sections, and the top of each window has tracery. A less precise measurement of 330 feet (100m) is given by several sources. Stephen, Church of Sts. Atop the jambs are a set of buttresses, which converge to form pointed arches.

It consists of a white-marble reredos, an altar table, with a multicolored inlaid marble frontal named "Annunciation" designed by Hildreth Meiere,[280] and a statue of the Lady on top.

[32][33] The area behind the apse would have contained a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, but this was removed entirely. [219] Above the square cross-sections are octagonal lanterns measuring 54 feet (16m) tall. [165][166], In 1952, St. Patrick's Cathedral received five gifts. [50] Work was slightly delayed by a stonecutters' strike that March. [5] A site was selected on Mulberry Street in what is now Lower Manhattan, and St. Patrick's Old Cathedral was dedicated in 1815. [122][123] Following a construction delay of more than one year, the Lady chapel was nearly complete by early 1905. [22] One partner in the firm, William Rodrigue, was Hughes's brother-in-law. [30][31] Renwick & Rodrigue originally planned a larger cathedral than the structure that was ultimately built. Some sources prior to the cathedral's expansion gave a figure of 70 windows. [225] The side windows depict the Four Evangelists. [60] The Baltimore Sun, for example, called it the "finest church edifice on the American continent". [160] The project involved 350 workers at its peak. [23][30] It is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America,[199] as well as the first major Gothic Revival cathedral in the United States. [24][220] It measures 96 feet (29m) wide if chapels are not included, or around 120 feet (37m) wide if the chapels in the side aisles are included. [223] The side aisles are similar to those at Saint-Ouen Abbey, Rouen, while the columns and ceiling are similar to British models such as Westminster Abbey. Designed by James Renwick Jr., it is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America. [83][84] In 1880, the section between Third Avenue and the East River was split to the parish of St. John the Evangelist. [228] There are five Stations of the Cross in total. Restored St. Patrick's Cathedral Unveiled", "Alterations to St. Patrick's Cathedral Approved", "The New, Green Pride of St. Patrick's Cathedral Is Underground", "New geothermal system will heat and cool historic St. Patrick's Cathedral", "St. Patrick's Cathedral Conservation, Renovation and Systems Upgrade by Murphy Burnham & Buttrick", "St. Charbel shrine revealed in prominent New York cathedral", "With Tourists Gone, St. Patrick's Cathedral Pleads for Help", "Catholic Churches In New York City Open To 100% Capacity", "20 famous buildings in New York City - CNN Style", "Marble in (and Around) the City Its Origins and Use in Historic New York Buildings", "Spires at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Cleaned Up, Come Back in View", "NYC's St. Pat's cathedral gets restored doors", "Minimalist Glass Insertions to Improve and Preserve St. Patrick's Cathedral", "Saddle River sculptor's bronze pope busts installed at St. Patrick's Cathedral", "To Adorn the Cathedral. [147], In 1920, the rectory also hosted the marriage of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald. [164] Cardinal Francis Spellman blessed the new bronze doors in December 1949. [73], The new St. Patrick's Cathedral opened on May 25, 1879. [302], The first organ was built by George Jardine & Son and installed in 1879. [64] By late 1875, the roof had been covered with slate and all of the walls were finished, except for a small portion along Fifth Avenue. [24][223] The top of the clerestory is 104 feet (32m) above ground. [119][120] The altar was replaced in 1942. Since the mid-1990s, the two organs have been able to operate as a single unit. [230][229] In 1908, bronze screens were installed at both transept entrances, measuring 17 feet (5.2m) tall and 14 feet (4.3m) wide. [209], St. Patrick's is oriented westeast relative to the street grid and has a cruciform plan. A stone staircase descended to a vault behind a set of slate doors. [63] A reporter for the New York World, probably Montgomery Schuyler, wrote in 1871 that the cathedral would be "one of the leading ecclesiastical structures in the world". The garage was designed to provide a secure entrance for Cardinal Timothy M. [225], There are twelve chapels in the side aisles. An editorial in the New York World described the cathedral as being constructed "not of the superfluity of wealth, but for the most part out of the offerings of poverty". [288] In addition, Rev. The shield in the left tower has the arms of the United States and the shield in the right tower has the arms of New York. [181] The Peragallo Pipe Organ Company removed the cathedral's organ for cleaning in early 1994. [65][225] Over each transept window rises a paneled gablet. These funded the electrification of the cathedral chimes; an elevator to the main organ; kneeling cushions and guard cords in the pews; and new stained-glass windows. It measures 332 feet (101m) long, with a maximum width of 174 feet (53m) at the transepts.

[300][301] According to The New York Times, St. Patrick's bells were the first to be operated by compressed air. [193][194] The geothermal system uses a computer to send cool or warm air based on thermostat readings. [22][28] Renwick spent three years in Europe to look for design influences for New York City's new Catholic cathedral. [163] Work began on an interior renovation in mid-1948, with 17 of the cathedral's 19 altars being replaced. [208] Other stained glass windows were added later. [119][120] Several gargoyles were designed as decoration for the chapel's exterior. [24][205][220] The roof is made of slate, though the clerestory roof has a metal cresting 5.5 feet (1.7m) high. The trustees received submissions from American, Canadian, French, and British architects before giving the commission to Charles T. Mathews of New York City.

[302] The Gallery Organ is in the western part of the nave below the Fifth Avenue rose window, as well as in the triforium near the south transept. The columns are 35 feet (11m) tall to the bottom of the arches that support the nave's ceiling. The paint was smeared in a pattern similar to the. [195] The same October, a shrine to the Lebanese Maronite Saint Charbel Makhlouf was dedicated at St. Patrick's Cathedral. [75][211] It has a seating capacity for about 2,400 congregants. [53][54] When work was suspended, the walls had been built to an average height of 12 feet (3.7m) above ground. [216], Under the high altar is a crypt in which notable Catholic figures that served the Archdiocese of New York are entombed. [6][19] As a result, several additional dioceses were created in New York state. [88] It had 30 rooms in total. [24][207], Inside the transepts are the Stations of the Cross, which are carved in stone and were manufactured by the Stoltzenberg Company in Roermond, the Netherlands. [27], In 1853, Hughes announced that he had hired the firm Renwick & Rodrigue to design a cathedral on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. St. Patrick's Cathedral is clad in marble and has several dozen stained glass windows. The walls of the chapel were designed to be plain at the bottom, becoming progressively more elaborately designed at the top. [143] English stained glass artist and designer Paul Vincent Woodroffe completed the Lady chapel's remaining windows by late 1930. [76][241] Between the towers were placed six niches with angels, three on either side of the center spire. Michael A. Curran was appointed to raise funds for the devastated parish and used an old college hall as a temporary church. [154][155] A new altar in the Lady chapel, donated by George J. Gillespie, was also consecrated in May 1942. [135] The next year, Robert J. Reiley was hired to conduct renovations, including replacing the wooden floor with a marble floor. The right-side wall has a plaque measuring 18 by 12 inches (460 by 300mm) with a holy water font made of silver. [119][120] Work on the Lady chapel began in July 1901. An Immense Attendance of the Clergy and Laity", "The Spires Completed; but Much Work Still Remains Undone on St. Patrick's Cathedral", "The Restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral", "St. Patrick's Cathedral History & Restoration Facts", "The Top 10 Secrets of St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC", "A Gift to New York, in Time for the Pope", "The restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral", "Cathedral Chimes. [290] The associate directors of music, who also serve as organists, are Daniel Brondel[291] and Michael Hey. [302] When Yon suffered a stroke in 1943, Dr. Charles Marie Courboin was temporarily appointed to Yon's position. Father Kohlmann bought the land on which the present cathedral stands. [299] Pressing a key on the keyboard in the sacristy would activate an electric signal, which in turn would release the compressed air to ring each bell. [191], The LPC approved a garage on the 50th Street side of the cathedral in late 2015. [172] Later that year, the LPC designated the cathedral as a New York City Landmark. [219] The spires were also planned with octagonal cross-sections, tapering from a base measuring 32 feet (9.8m) across to a pinnacle measuring 2 feet (0.61m) across. The walls between the gablets and pinnacles are finished by pierced battlements. [149] In 1930, a 50-foot-long (15m) marble altar rail was designed by Robert J. Reiley and installed in front of the altar. is made of Dix Island granite from Maine. [130], The rectory (originally the Vicar General's house[88]) is at the southwest corner with 51st Street, on the northeastern section of the cathedral close.

[188][189] Work was completed by September 17, 2015, before Pope Francis visited the cathedral the next week. ; Three of a Set of Stations of the Cross Finished -- Now in Chicago", "Cardinal Spellman's Red Hat Hangs in St. Patrick's", "Consecration of Altar at Fordham University", "Cathedral to Use New Altar May 13; First Solemn Pontifical Mass Will Be Celebrated Then, Archbishop Reveals", "Hidden secrets of NYC's St. Patrick's Cathedral, which include an underground crypt and 9/11 graffiti markings", "Tombs Under the City; Catacombs for the Dead Beneath Several Churches", "The Cardinal's Funeral: Impressive Services Held at the Cathedral", "Finally Laid at Rest: Services Over the Remains of Archbishop Hughes", "Thousands Turned Away; Great Crowds Gather to View the Dead Cardinal's Body. [62][205][219] Circular stone stairways and a chime of bells were installed in the towers. [10][20] As early as 1850, Hughes determined that the growing Archdiocese of New York needed a large cathedral to replace the older cathedral in Lower Manhattan. The cost estimate of $867,500 for the entire cathedral (equivalent to $20,712,474 in 2020) was unusually low for a project of that size. The font was given by Pope Paul VI to Cardinal Cooke in 1971. One hundred and three subscribers donated $1,000 apiece,[22][36] and two subscribers were non-Catholics. [313], The cathedral's fifth music director, John Grady, served as a music director and organist from 1970 to his death in 1990. [156] Under the Lady chapel is a crypt for the Kelly family, which had paid for the chapel. Work was halted in the early 1860s during the American Civil War; the cathedral was completed in 1878 and dedicated on May 25, 1879. [112], St. Patrick's Cathedral has two pipe organs with more than 9,000 pipes, 206 stops, 150 ranks, and 10 divisions between them. [24][32] To make way for the clergy's and archbishop's residences, the ambulatory was removed from the plans. [48][202] Behind the marble blocks are walls made of brick and stone laid in rough masonry, with hollow gaps for ventilation. [24][25] The site faced the gardens of Columbia University to the west,[26] but the surrounding area was otherwise characterized by rocks and unopened streets.

[31], The northern and southern facades are divided into five bays, with buttresses and pinnacles between each bay. ; a Test of Bells in the Tower of St. Patrick's Cathedral", "St. Patrick's New Chimes; Archbishop Corrigan, with Impressive Ceremony, Blesses the Cathedral Bells", "Religious News and Views; Plans for New Lady Chapel of St. Patrick's Approved", "Religious News and Views: Plans for New Lady Chapel of St. Patrick's Cathedral", "Religious News and Views; Work on the Lady Chapel of St. Patrick's Cathedral Begun", "Religious News and Views; Plans for Lifting St. Patrick's Cathedral Debt", "Rich Bronze Work is Being Done at St. Patrick's", "Kelly to Complete the Lady Chapel; Papal Chamberlain Expects to Place Windows in St. Patrick's This Fall", "St. Patrick's Plans Big Improvements; Marble Floor and $125,000 Organ Included, Mgr. [67] These windows are flanked by octagonal buttresses, which contain spiral stairs leading to the triforium and roofs. [137] Amplifiers,[138][139] wrought-iron doors,[140] and new bronze chandeliers were installed. East of the apse are the rectory, Lady chapel, and archbishop's residence facing Madison Avenue. In 1944, red paint was splashed on the cathedral. Andrew King is the master of ceremonies, and Rev.

The crypt's interments include all nine past deceased Archbishops of New York: Fulton J. Sheen, Auxiliary Bishop of New York from 1951 to 1965 and later Bishop of Rochester, was interred in the crypt in 1979. [302] All the organs of the cathedral were removed from the cathedral during the 2012-2015 restoration, and were restored, cleaned and re-voiced by the Peragallo Company before being reinstalled in 2015. [46] The white marble was the most expensive of the four options, with a projected cost of $850,000, and James Hall and William Joyce offered to supply the marble. The windows are divided by mullions into four vertical sections; they are surmounted by paneled gablets with traceries. [115], Margaret A. Kelly, widow of banker Eugene Kelly, died in 1899 and left $200,000 to the cathedral for the construction of a Lady chapel, on the condition that the chapel not be constructed until after her death.

[304] Tonal modifications were made in the 1940s and 1950s, and additional renovations occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. [86] The archbishop's residence covers 15,000 square feet (1,400m2). [93], The nave is about 164 feet (50m) long as measured from the Fifth Avenue facade.