Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - Portland, ME
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 43° 39.707 W 070° 15.285
19T E 398831 N 4835073
This church, the second at this location to serve as the cathedral for the Portland Catholic Diocese, is a beautiful structure with high ceilings, many glass windows, and a tall steeple, and is easily visible from many points in Portland.
Waymark Code: WM795C
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 09/21/2009
Views: 8
Along a ridge in the city of Portland, standing prominently within a residential area, is a great red brick church building with a very tall steeple that is easily visible from I-295 and many other points in Portland. This structure, located on Congress Street, near the intersection with Franklin, is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the seat for the Portland Diocese of the Catholic Church.
The structure was built in 1869 after the first structure burned down before it was finished. The architecture is neo-Gothic. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The church is predominantly red brick with yellow coloring around the windows and doors. There are three steeples: two in front and one in back. The tallest of these steeples rises 204 feet high, which is the tallest steeple in the city.
Inside the church, ceilings rise 70 feet and the length of the space is 186 feet. There are several stained glass windows, sculptures and other art all around. The site also mentions that the organ is the same one that played in the dedication of the church in 1869.
The church is the gathering place for the Cathedral Parish. It is part of a five cluster set of parishes, called the Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes, that include Sacred Heart / St. Dominic, St. Christopher, St. Louis, and St. Peter. The Diocese of Portland was established in 1853 and then encompassed both Maine and New Hampshire. For more information and history, go to the Diocese web site at (
visit link) .