Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile, Alabama, USA.
Nestled between
Fort Conde and Mobile Government Plaza, Christ Church Cathedral, a historical
site, is located at 115 South Conception Street, Mobile, Alabama, United
States of America.
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| The Portico |
This is the first
Episcopal Church in Mobile as well as in the entire State of Alabama.
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| The side view |
Christ Church Cathedral was established in the year 1823. Prior to that there was no Protestant Church built in this part of the country.
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| The interior view |
The
first Anglican Church services had been conducted at Fort Charlotte during the
British occupation of Mobile from 1763 to 1780. From 1780 to 1813, Spain ruled
the region. During that period there was no active gathering of Anglican
congregation.
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| A view of balcony with pipe organ |
In
1813, Mobile was occupied by the United States troops and then onward, the gathering
of Protestant congregations revived. In the 1820s, Christ Church served as the site of a Union Church, a worship place for believers of all Protestant Christians.
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| Interior wall with stained glass |
In the year 1823, many religious and educational institutions were established in Mobile. Christ Church Episcopal Congregation was one among them.
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| Alter table |
Cornerstone for the present ‘Greek revival’ style building was laid in 1835 and it took seven years to complete the construction. It was consecrated in 1842 by Leonidas Polk, the Bishop of Louisiana and Alabama. The Bishop was also nick named as “Sewanee’s Fighting Bishop" because he later joined the Confederate States Army during the American Civil war and commanded an Artillery Corps in the capacity of Lieutenant General. The word “Sewanee” denotes the place where he founded the University of the South.
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| Stained glass.1 |
Stained glass.2 Stained glass.3
In 1906 a major
hurricane devastated the Mobile area and the storm blew the original steeple
through the roof. It was never replaced. The church assumed its modern
appearance without the steeple. The interior, which
had to be rebuilt following the 1906 disaster, features stained glass windows. In
2005, the church became the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf
Coast. It serves as the seat of the Bishop.
Again in 2005, Hurricane Katrina damaged the nave and Chapter
House which prompted extensive repair and renovation by incurring a huge
amount.
