Cathedral of All Souls (Asheville, North Carolina) explained

Cathedral of All Souls
Fullname:The Cathedral and Parish Church of All Souls
Pushpin Map:USA North Carolina
Pushpin Label Position:none
Coordinates:35.5657°N -82.5428°W
Location:2 Angle St., Biltmore Village
Asheville, North Carolina
Country:United States
Denomination:Episcopal Church
Founded Date:1896
Consecrated Date:November 8, 1896
Architect:Richard Morris Hunt
Style:Romanesque Revival
Diocese:Western North Carolina
Bishop:José Antonio McLoughlin
Dean:Sarah Hurlbert
Embedded:
Embed:yes
All Souls Episcopal Church
and Parish House
Mpsub:Biltmore Village MRA
Refnum:79001664
Added:November 15, 1979 Private

The Cathedral of All Souls, also referred to as All Souls Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral located in Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America. All Souls was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, the grandson of railroad baron, Cornelius Vanderbilt, in 1896, to serve as the local parish church for Biltmore Village, which had been developed near his Biltmore Estate,[1] and designated as a cathedral in 1995. The Right Reverend José Antonio McLoughlin is the current bishop seated at the cathedral.

History

The church was established in 1896 as a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. It is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Church and Parish Hall were commissioned by George Vanderbilt and designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the architect of Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate.[2]

The chancel organ was installed by the Casavant Frères organ company of Canada in 1971. The Cathedral of All Souls was designated as the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina on January 1, 1995.[3] The Right Reverend José A. McLoughlin is the current bishop.[1]

Stained glass artists Maitland Armstrong and Helen Maitland Armstrong created three memorial stained glass windows for the south transept, honoring Maria Louisa Vanderbilt (George W. Vanderbilt's mother), architect Richard Morris Hunt, and Clarence Barker (Vanderbilt's cousin).[4] They later created "Ecce Homo," a stained glass memorial at All Souls' Church in Biltmore, for Cornelius Vanderbilt, in 1900.[5]

The church and its parish house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as All Souls Episcopal Church and Parish House.

In 2015 a major restoration project replaced the 119 year-old Ludowici roof tiles with new ones designed to match the originals.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History. All Souls Cathedral. 2014-03-04.
  2. Web site: H. McKelden Smith. Biltmore Village Survey: All Souls Episcopal Church and Parish House. National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory . August 1976. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office . 2014-08-01.
  3. http://www.romanticasheville.com/all_souls.htm "Cathedral of All Souls"
  4. Book: Kiernan, Denise. The last castle: the epic story of love, loss, and American royalty in the nation's largest home. 2017. 9781476794044. 117. 981761550. en.
  5. News: A VANDERBILT MEMORIAL: George W. Vanderbilt's Gift of a Window to All Souls' Church. Jul 22, 1900. New York Times.
  6. News: Neal . Dale . Raising the roof at All Souls after 119 years . 16 February 2024 . USA Today . 6 September 2015.