The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-01
THE NEW CATHEDRAL
A Protest Against the Location of a
Factory in it's Immediate Vicinity.

At special meeting of the Execu-
tive Committee, of the New Cathedral
of ST. Paul, held at the Archiepiscopal
residence, on March %, 1911, it was
represented and stated to said COM
mittee, that the C. Gotzian & Com
pany, corporation of the State of
Minnesota, and engaged in the manu-
facture of shoes at the city of st. Paul,
had announced, or caused to be pub
licly announced that such company
contemplated the erection of large
shoe factory for the manufacture of
it's product, upon the block situated on
the northwest corner of Pleasant Ave
nue. and Third Street in said city Of
st. Paul, enclosed within the lines
drawn from said corner along the
north side of Third Street to the east
side of College Avenue, thence on Col
lege Avenue to Sixth Street, thence
along the south side of Sixth Street to
Pleasant Avenue, thence along the west
side of Pleasant Avenue to the place
of beginning; that the west lines of
said factory would be situated less
than a block away from the New Ca
thedral, and about one-third of the
distance up on st. Anthony Hill.
And whereas, the construction and
operation at that point of a manufac-
turing establishment of the capacity
and dimensions necessary for the bust
ness of the c. Gotzian & Company
would result in placing upon the prop
erty described, an exceedingly large
factory building, and that such factory
building would of necessity obscure
and interfere with the view of said
Cathedral from all points east and
north of said building. That the opera
tion of such factory in that vicinity
would of necessity, procure conditions
exceedingly injurious and detrimental
to such Cathedral, and it's use; and
that its effect upon the residence prop
erty of the west side of College Ave
nue., and adjoining said Cathedral and
| Summit Avenue, would be to seriously
affect all of such property in a way
exceedingly detrimental to residential
purposes.
That up to this time no manufactur-
ing establishment of any kind has been
located west of the west line of Pleas
ant Avenue, at the foot of the hill, and
that by common consent, the vicinity
of Summit Avenue and the Hill, has
been permitted to remain for residen-
tial purposes, for which it is obviously
designed.
That this committee are at present,
under the direction of the Archbishop
of St. Paul, engaged in the building
and completion of the new st. Paul
Cathedral, which building, when COM
pleted, will have cost the Catholics of
the Archdiocese of St. Paul at least
two millions of dollars. That the struc-
ture when completed, will be one of
the most attractive, if not the best
ecclesiastical structure in the United
States. That in it's size, design, and
architectural beauty, it will take it's
place among the very first of such
structures in the United States. That
aside from it's religious purposes and
uses, it will add greatly to the archi-
tectural and scenic attractions and
beauty of the city of st. Paul. That
it's attractiveness, use and scenic and
architectural beauty will be seriously
affected and injured by the location in
such immediate vicinity to it, of build
ing of the character and for the pur-
poses which it is said the G. Gotzian
& Company proposes to erect and
operate upon the land described.
Therefore, Be 1t Resolved, That we,
the Executive Committee of the Build
ing Committee of the new Cathedral
of st. Paul, representing in this regard
the Archdiocese of St Paul, and all
of the Roman Catholics of said Arch
diocese, and of the Northwest, who
have contributed to, and who are build
ing such Cathedral, respectfully and
earnestly request the G.. Gotzian G
Company, and the proprietors and
officers thereof, to abandon such pro-
posed location for their factory, and
to select for the same, some other
locality, in which the erection and
operation of such factory will not pro-
duce the unfortunate and disastrous
effects which would certainly follow
its erection and operation upon the
proposed site.
The committee respectfully and
earnestly points out to the G. Gotzian
& Company that this Cathedral is be-
ing erected for all time. That in so
far as it's appearance and architectural
beauty are an addition and adornment
to the city, all of our citizens are inter-
ested in its preservation, and in keep
ing it's surrounding locality in such a
condition that its beauty may be ap-
parent to all, and unaffected by large
structures of a character and purpose
so different as to detract from it.
That it is, in the opinion of the com
mittee, unquestioned, that more ap-
propriate, and indeed favorable site
for such factory can be readily OBJ