Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption (Covington, Kentucky)

The Roman Catholic St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, is a minor basilica in the United States. Construction of the cathedral began under the Diocese of Covington's third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, in 1895 to replace an 1834 frame church that was inadequate for the growing congregation. Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the rank of minor basilica December 8, 1953.

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, KY
Location1130 Madison Avenue
Covington, Kentucky
Coordinates39°4′42″N 84°30′29″W
Area10 acres (4.0 ha)
ArchitectDavis, David
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival, Other, French Gothic
NRHP reference No.73000812 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 20, 1973
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption interior in 2006

Description

The sanctuary was designed by Detroit architect Leon Coquard and is inspired by the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Services were first held in 1901 with the Madison Avenue façade, designed by local architect David Davis, added between 1908 and 1910. The structure is constructed of Bedford stone and the roofs are covered with red ludovici tile. It measures 194 ft × 144 ft (59 m × 44 m) and the nave reaches a height of 81 ft (25 m). The cathedral project terminated in 1915, though it remains incomplete to this day with the planned 52 ft (16 m) towers unbuilt.[2]

The restoration of the Cathedral earned a 2002 Preservation Award from the Cincinnati Preservation Association.[3] For the interior restoration, Conrad Schmitt Studios cleaned the stone ribs, tracery and walls. Studio artists also restored plaster and select faux stone painting.

The interior was modeled after St. Denis in France. It contains murals by Covington native Frank Duveneck with the high altar carved from Carrara marble with floors of Rosata and Breche marble.[2]

The Cathedral is famous for what is said to be the world's largest handmade church stained glass window, at 67 ft × 24 ft (20.4 m × 7.3 m).[4] Located in the North Transept of the Cathedral, the upper portion depicts the Coronation of Mary after her Assumption. The lower portion is a depiction of the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 AD that proclaimed Mary the 'Theotokos' (God-Bearer or Mother of God). The window was created by Mayer and Company of Munich, Germany, and installed in 1911. It was fully restored in 2001.[5]

Stained Glass Window: Coronation of Mary and Council of Ephesus. Cathedral of the Assumption, Covington, KY

The cathedral houses three pipe organs. The south transept gallery holds the pipe organ designed and built in 1933 for the cathedral by Henry Willis III during his tenure at the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. Originally a three-manual console with 43 ranks of pipes, Aultz-Kersting Organ renovated and enlarged this instrument in 1982 to four-manuals with 65 ranks.

The west gallery, below the rose window, is occupied by the two-manual organ originally built for St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Covington, Kentucky, in 1858 by Mathais Schwab of Cincinnati, Ohio. When the St. Joseph building was razed in 1970, the Schwab organ was moved to St Mary's. The Schwab organ was altered to fit the new location, but retains most of its original components, including its mechanical key and stop actions, ivory keyboards and faux-grained casework. It contains 21 ranks. In 2002, the cathedral purchased a one-manual, 20-rank portable organ for use in various parts of the sanctuary.[6]

  • At the Cathedral's architectural center point stands the High Altar. Its Verde marble surface suggests ancient sacrificial stones.
  • View of the window, said to be the world's largest handmade stained glass window in a church.
  • View facing Southeast - In this image the North Transept is to the left and the West Facade is shown on the right.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Nomination Form: Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption". National Park Service. 20 July 1073. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  3. "Association honors area preservationists". The Cincinnati Enquirer. enquirer.com. 23 November 2002. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  4. Day, Teresa (30 January 2005). Fun With the Family Kentucky: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Globe Pequot. p. 60. ISBN 0-7627-3490-6. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  5. "Our Rich History: Historic stained-glass windows in Cathedral Basilica draw new generation of admirers". 10 July 2017. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  6. "The Cathedral Organs". Covington Cathedral Concert Series Online. Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
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