Scottish Rite Cathedral | |
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Front view of Cathedral | |
General information | |
Type | Cathedral |
Architectural style | Neo-classic |
Location | 41°0′19″N 80°20′41″W / 41.00528°N 80.34472°W / 41.00528; -80.34472 |
Address | 110 E. Lincoln Ave |
Town or city | New Castle, PA |
Country | USA |
Construction started | 1925 |
Completed | 1926 |
Inaugurated | November 8, 1926 |
Cost | 1.7 million |
Owner | Cathedral Foundation |
Height | 180 feet |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | R. G. Schmidt |
Other information | |
Seating capacity | 2,834 |
Website | |
cathedralnewcastle.com | |
Scottish Rite Cathedral | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Interactive map showing the location of Scottish Rite Cathedral | |
Location | 110 E. Lincoln Ave., New Castle, Pennsylvania |
Coordinates | 41°00′17″N 80°20′41″W / 41.00472°N 80.34472°W / 41.00472; -80.34472 |
Area | 6.8 acres (2.8 ha) |
Built | 1926 (1926) |
Built by | Schmid, Richard Gustav; Seisel, S.M. |
Architectural style | Classical Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 08001266 |
Added to NRHP | December 30, 2008 |
The Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States, was designed by Milwaukee architect R. G. Schmidt and built in 1925. First used in November 1926 as a meeting place for Masonic groups, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Unable to pay taxes during the Great Depression, the Masons lost the building to the county, but reacquired it in 1940 with the creation of the Cathedral Foundation. This non-profit foundation continues to operate the Cathedral today.
History
John S. Wallace, a Masonic official and first Commander-In-Chief of the New Castle area, desired a building large enough to accommodate all Masonic groups. Though the land on which the Cathedral sits was purchased in 1918, additional land was bought in 1921, 1923, and 1924. Because the builders ran into quicksand, piling had to be added to the back of the building to ensure the structure was sound. At the time it was built, the Cathedral was the largest facility between New York and Chicago.
Today
The Cathedral continues to be used today for wedding receptions, banquets, and most notably for performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The auditorium in which the symphony performs has a seating capacity of 2,834, and a stage that is 82 feet wide, 46 feet deep, and 65 feet high.
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ Visit Lawrence County.com
- ^ Cathedral New Castle
- Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
External links
Categories:- Masonic buildings completed in 1926
- Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Masonic buildings in Pennsylvania
- Music venues in Pennsylvania
- Buildings and structures in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
- New Castle, Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania