Cathedral Church of St. Luke

The Cathedral Church of St. Luke is the principal cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, situated in Portland. Its origins trace back to 1851 when the Rt. Rev. Horatio Southgate, a Portland native who had previously served as the Episcopal Missionary Bishop to Constantinople, initiated the founding of St. Luke's Church. The initial church building was located on Congress Street. By 1866, St. Luke's had grown significantly, becoming the largest parish in Maine and was subsequently designated as the cathedral church for the diocese.

History and Construction

The cornerstone for the current Gothic Revival structure was laid on August 15, 1867. Designed by New York architect Charles Coolidge Haight, the cathedral held its first services on Christmas Day in 1868. Following the retirement of all mortgages, the cathedral was officially consecrated on October 18, 1877. An act of the Maine legislature formally incorporated the cathedral two years later. Over the subsequent decades, several significant additions and renovations have enhanced the cathedral.

Architectural Features and Later Additions

Key architectural elements and additions include the Augustus R. Wright Memorial Rose Window, installed in 1898. Between 1904 and 1905, the Emmanuel Chapel and the cenotaph of Bishop Neely were constructed, with the chapel designed by Stephen Russell Hurd Codman. The high altar, Incarnation Reredos, silver cross, and candlesticks were added in 1925, followed by the Skinner pipe organ in 1928. A new entrance was provided by the deWolfe Belfry, built in 1957 and designed by the architectural firm Cram & Ferguson. The parish house experienced substantial damage from a fire in 1985, with repairs completed two years later. A new freestanding altar table was installed in 1990, and a significant renovation project was concluded in 2003.