St. James Catholic Cathedral, 2001
Dublin Core
Title
St. James Catholic Cathedral, 2001
Alternative Title
St. James Catholic Cathedral
Subject
Orlando (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Churches--Florida
Catholic Church--Florida
Cathedrals--United States
Catholicism--United States
Catholics--Florida
Description
St. James Catholic Cathedral, located at 215 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2001. In 1881, Bishop John Moore purchased a block of land bound by Orange Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Robinson Street. On January 23, 1887, the cornerstone of the Holy Nativity Catholic Church was set under the leadership of Father Felix P. Swembergh. The building was designed by Kurz and Allison's Art Studio of Chicago, Illinois, in the American Gothic style. The structure was completed in June of 1891, under the guidance of Father Joseph J. Creed, who replaced Father Swembergh after his death in October 1887. It was renamed as St. James Catholic Church the following year.
In 1889, a storm destroyed the church's roof and the City of Orlando condemned the building. The church was rebuilt in 1889 in the old Carpenter Gothic style and seated 240. It was torn down around 1950 and the new building, designed by Donovan Dean and Arthur White, was completed on January 20, 1952. In 1977, the building was designated as the diocese's cathedral due to the destruction of the St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral by fire. In July of 2009, the cathedral was closed for renovations and was re-dedicated on November 20, 2010.
In 1889, a storm destroyed the church's roof and the City of Orlando condemned the building. The church was rebuilt in 1889 in the old Carpenter Gothic style and seated 240. It was torn down around 1950 and the new building, designed by Donovan Dean and Arthur White, was completed on January 20, 1952. In 1977, the building was designated as the diocese's cathedral due to the destruction of the St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral by fire. In July of 2009, the cathedral was closed for renovations and was re-dedicated on November 20, 2010.
Creator
Cook, Thomas
Source
Original color image by Thomas Cook, 2001: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Publisher
Date Created
2001
Contributor
Cook, Thomas
Is Part Of
Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
179 KB
208 KB
219 KB
251 KB
344 KB
Medium
5 color digital images
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Coverage
Holy Nativity Catholic Church, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. James Catholic Church, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. James Catholic Cathedral, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Geography Teacher
Humanities Teacher
Visual Arts Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Thomas Cook and published by RICHES of Central Florida.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by Thomas Cook and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
Source Repository
Private Collection of Thomas Cook
External Reference
"About Us" St. James Catholic Cathedral. http://www.stjamesorlando.org/about-us/.
Rajtar, Steve. A Guide to Historic Orlando. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
Antequino, Stephanie Gaub, and Tana Mosier Porter. Lost Orlando Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub, 2012.
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
5 color digital images
Collection
Citation
Cook, Thomas, “St. James Catholic Cathedral, 2001,” RICHES, accessed October 31, 2025, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/1958.