St. Andrew’s Cathedral is valued for its association with its architects Maurice Perrault and Albert Mesnard, of Montreal, Quebec. It is one of the few High Victorian Gothic Revival structures on the West Coast, taking its design inspiration from European cathedrals of the 14th and 15th centuries. Constructed in 1892, the cathedral was the first major masonry structure for the Roman Catholic denomination in the city, and is reflective of the extensive influence of a largely Francophone, Roman Catholic development first introduced by the Sisters of St. Ann.
Its key architectural elements include its emphatic verticality and picturesque asymmetry, marked in particular by its 175 foot tall spire. The value of its design lies in its brick and stonework, eclectic embellishments such as finials, crockets, latticework, and its one hundred stained glass windows. The interior of the church retains much of its original design, including the spatial configurations of the sanctuary with its arches, pillars, vaulted ceilings, and decorative traceries. Much of the church’s original wooden furnishings, such as pews, remain alongside modern handmade liturgical furniture as reminders of the constant grandeur and grace of this historic house of worship.
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