Status: Preserved
Address: 692, 700 and 714 Poplar Avenue, Memphis
Built: Built in 1887 (Chapel), 1902 (Diocesan House) and 1898-1926 (Cathedral)
Architectural Style: Gothic Revival
Original Function/Purpose: Church
History: The cathedral originated as a mission church organized by Calvary Episcopal Church in 1857. The original church was a small, wooden Gothic structure dedicated in 1858. St. Mary’s School for Girls opened there in 1873 led by Episcopal nuns from the recently formed Sisterhood of St. Mary’s Cathedral. Construction of the current English Gothic Revival Cathedral began in 1898 after plans by W. Halsey Wood and L.M. Weathers and required nearly two decades to complete. The Diocesan House (pictured above) dates to 1902. Memphis’ community action agency, Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) was founded at the cathedral after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. The cathedral is scheduled to complete an extensive $1.4 million restoration project in the Fall of 2023.
City Council District: 7
Super District: 8
County Commission District: 8