The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-14


In the month of April, 1865, ground was
broken for the erection OF this. magnificent
Cathedral, which was intended to equal if not
surpass any church edifc in New England.
In April, 1866, the underpinning was nut
down. and walls were erected twelve feet in
height. when the great fire of the Fourth of
July of that year swept away all but the
foundations. In April, 1868, work was re-
sumed, and on the 18th of August had so pro-
gressed that the first cross was raised on one of
the pinnacles On the ed of July, 1860, the
steeple was completed, and the cross raised
on its summit with appropriate ceremonies,
and on the 9th of next September the church
will be dedicated
Yesterday morning we paid visit to this
splendid structure, and will attempt slight
description of the building. The Cathedral is
of the florid Gothic style of architecture, and
was built from plans subjected by Mr.. P. G.
Kelley, of Brooklyn, N. Y. 1t is called the
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and
is intended to represent in its decorations the
life of the Virgin Mary, her purity, her i'm
mortality and her final coronation by the Re-
deemer. The building ON the exterior is 1876
100 feet in size and inside 1856 20 feet. The
frescoing is all done in oils by Schumacher,
and is splendid specimen of lineal painting.
Upon passing through the main entrance,
from Cumberland street, the effect of the in
terror, with its magnificent carving of wood
work, the symmetry of proportions, and her
various blending of colors, strikes the eye of
the beholder with sense of surprise and ad-
miration. There are only three colors used in
the ground work-blue, buff and green. The
whole of the ceiling is covered with foils, some
enclosing the monogram of the Trinity, and
others the lily, cross and shamrock inter-
twined, while running throughout the decora-
tons may be seen the ivy, the emblem of inn
mortality, which is also carved upon the altar.
As you enter the Cathedral you pass through
porch, the walls of which are painted in blue
emblematic of purity, and thence into the nave
of the church under the organ gallery. Your
eve first notices, painted upon the under sur
face of this organ gallery, the monogram of
tee Virgin Mary-M. Rim old English let
tiers. entwined with lilies and other flowers,
together with the ivy, radiating from
which are golden rays This is most beauti-
full work of art, and calls for particular atten-
Next we see the coat of arms of the Bishop,
who is the protector of'the Virgin. Having
stepped from under the gallery, we stand in
the nave facing the altar and are dazzled for q
few moments by the gorgeousness and at the
same time the perfect good taste of the whole
interior. Seven pillars on either side of the
nave support the arches, and the distance
from the flour to the ridge-pole is some seventy
feet There are seven small windows on
either side of the upper part of the nave,
beautifully painted, representing the instru-
ments of the Passion, such as the grapes, the
wheat the monogram of the Virgin, the crown,
Alpha and Omega-the first and the last-the
chalice, the hammer and pincers, the crossed
swords, and the keys. Bsneath these windows
are the false windows (gothic) Of the triforium
supported by the pillars of the nave.
The windows in the upper part of the chan
eel represent the Bishops mitre, the tiara Of
the Superior, the pelican feeding its young
the cross, the emblem of the Trinity, the
lamb and the dove. The chancel is surround
ed by finely carved black walnut railing
while the altar is Of white and gold. Ulti-
mately the chancel will be adorned by twelve
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In the rear of the church is the splendid win
dow of stained glass, 10 x19 feet in size repre-
senting the browning of the Virgin. The idea
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