Old School: Cathedral Basilica of St. James

Tired of taking the ferry across the East River to Manhattan for Mass, the growing Catholic community in Vinegar Hill in the early 19th Century decided to organize their own church in Brooklyn. On April 25, 1822, the second Bishop of New York, John Connolly, blessed the ground at Jay and Chapel streets, and the Basilica of St. James was born. As the oldest Catholic Church on Long Island, the Neo-Georgian structure is also the seat of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Of particular architectural interest is the cathedral's steeple, which is clad in verdigriscopper. There's also a beautiful brick building built in 1905 (photo on the jump) in the rear at 250 Cathedral Place that we're guessing might be where the Bishop gets to hang his collar. The church was also the kick-off point for last Friday's Way of the Cross march across the Brooklyn Bridge.
A Short History of the Cathedral [Brooklyn Cathedral] GMAP

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The official residence of the bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn is actually in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill, on that row of Pratt mansions...don't know what they use this building for.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at April 12, 2007 11:39 AM

St. James is the cathedral, not the residence of the Bishop, which is on Clinton Ave. St. James is the equivalent of St. Patrick's cathedral for Brooklyn.

Posted by: Anonymous at April 12, 2007 2:58 PM

It's kind of big to be a residence, this is Brooklyn, not the Vatican.
I think it looks more like a school.
Although it could also house priests and staff at the cathedral.

Posted by: Fran at April 12, 2007 4:35 PM

Sometime around the turn of the century (uh, the turn of the last century), the diocese had plans to build a new cathedral in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill. I think it was intended for the site where Queen of All Saints is, or across Lafayette at the high school. They even built one section or one chapel of the cathedral.

Posted by: Halden at April 12, 2007 4:36 PM

there was a book written about 10 years agi "madeleines'ghost" by robert girardi. it gives a great history of the area and was a wonderful romantic taleset in the 1980's. it was so atmospheric because at that time it still looked like vinegar hill, not lic.

Posted by: adriennui at April 12, 2007 4:58 PM

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April 12, 2007

Old School: Cathedral Basilica of St. James

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