Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral is an

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...

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. It is the seat of the Diocese of North Dakota.

History

The first Episcopal service in Fargo was celebrated on August 29, 1872, by the Rev. Joseph A Gilfilian, from

Brainerd, Minnesota Brainerd ( ) is a city and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluen ...

. Services were held in the

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dining tent. Most of the people in the congregation worked for the railroad and their families. In the winter months they held services in Pinkham's Hall, which was located at the corner of Front (Main) and 3rd Streets. The mission was called the Church of the Crossing. In the summer of 1874 construction began on a permanent church building at 204 9th St. South on land donated by General George W. Cass. It was completed the following year and named Christ Church. A couple of years later the church was blown off its foundation. It was rebuilt and given parish status. At this time the parish was renamed Gethsemane. The Missionary District of North Dakota was established by the Episcopal Church on October 11, 1883, by dividing the Missionary District of Dakota into two districts. Fargo was selected as the

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. By the 1890s not only had Gethsemane outgrown its church, but it had been blown off its foundation again. A new church was designed in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style. It was to be constructed in

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, however, because of the national economic depression the plans had to be changed. It was built as a wood-frame building on a sandstone foundation. It featured decorative wooden features that would have normally have been made of stone. The church was located at Second Avenue and Ninth Street South. On September 2, 1900, Gethsemane was elevated to a cathedral. It was the only wooden Episcopal cathedral in the United States. In 1980 the cathedral was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. As the church was being renovated it caught fire and was destroyed beyond repair on September 12, 1989. The congregation moved to a storefront building that had housed a business college. Walls were taken down to create a worship space. A new cathedral was designed by

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

architects Charles W. Moore and Arthur Andersson in a

Postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...

style referred to as Prairie Gothic. Ground breaking for the new facility was held on May 18, 1991, and it opened the following year. The construction debt was paid off in January 2003.

References

External links

Official Site
{{NRHP in Cass County, North Dakota Religious organizations established in 1872 Churches completed in 1992 20th-century Episcopal church buildings Modernist architecture in North Dakota Episcopal church buildings in North Dakota Gethsemane, Fargo Buildings and structures in Fargo, North Dakota Former National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota

History

See also

References

External links