Cathedral Basilica

Dublin Core

Title

Cathedral Basilica

Alternative Title

Cathedral Parish

Contributor

Bishop John Moore
Henry Flagler and James Renwick, Jr.
Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley

Date Created

1793-1797

Date Modified

1887-1888
1965

Type

The purpose of this building is a church.

Description

The laying of the corner stone of the current church was in 1793 and the church was completed in 1797. It became a cathedral in 1873 when St. Augustine became its own diocese.

On April 12, 1887, the cathedral caught on fire after the one that consumed the St. Augustine Hotel spread. When the fire was over, only the church's coquina walls remained standing. It was rebuilt, which was completed in 1888, with the addition of a belltower and transepts. Although a Presybeterian, Henry Flagler donated money for the building of the belltower.

The Cathedral is one of the sites in St. Augustine to be added to the Historic American Buildings Survey published March 1, 1941. In 1965, a renovation was undertaken to allow the church to be used to celebrate the updated version of the Mass.

On April 15, 1970, the Cathedral was designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1976, Pope Paul IV raised the status of the church to that of a minor basilica.

Has Part

Cathedral Basilica was part of the Diocese of Savannah in the 19th Century.
Cathedral Basilica is part of the Diocese of St. Augustine.

Mediator

The Cathedral is open to the public. For visitor information, please refer to https://thefirstparish.org/.

Rights Holder

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
38 Cathedral Place
St. Augustine, FL 32084
https://thefirstparish.org/

Relation

The Cathedral is on the corner of Cathedral Place and St. George Street.
The St. Augustine Hotel was built alongside the Cathedral Basilica.

Source

The following books, articles, websites, and photographers were used to find the above photographs or illustrations:

 

Photograph 1 (1882): Glaser, Louis, fec., St. Augustine. New York: Wittemann Brothers, 1882.


Photograph 2 (1882): Glaser, Louis, fec., St. Augustine. New York: Wittemann Brothers, 1882.


Photograph 3 (1887): Tellier, Mark. St. Augustine’s Pictures of the Past: The Second Discovery. 1st edition. Published by the author, 1979

Photograph 4 (c.1890): Courtesy of the Flalger College Archives. https://flagler.libguides.com/archives.

Photograph 5 (c.1910): Bowen, Beth Rogero, and the St. Augustine Historical Society. St. Augustine in the Gilded Age. Acadia Publishing, 2008.


Photograph 6 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "The Cathedral Basilica St. Augustine." March 5, 2023.

Photograph 7 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Inside the Cathedral." March 16, 2023.

Photograph 8 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "National Register of Historic Places Plaque." October 2, 2025.

Photograph 9 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "City of St. Augustine Plaque." October 2, 2025.

Photograph 10 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "Florida Historic Plaque." October 2, 2025.

 

The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location: 

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. “Our History.” 2024. https://thefirstparish.org/visit-us/our-history/.

Waterbury, Jean Parker, ed. The Oldest City: St. Augustine, Saga of Survival. St. Augustine, FL: St. Augustine Historical Society, 1983.

Winsberg, Morton D., compiler. Florida’s History through Its Places: Properties in the National Register of Historic Places. Institute of Science and Public Affairs/Florida State Univ., 1988.

Rights

Flagler College’s Rare Books, Floridiana & Institutional Repository are neither the original nor current copyright owner for the photographs. Please contact the publisher or source cited for each photograph to obtain a copy and/or permission to reproduce these items.

Date Submitted

This record was last updated on October 3, 2025.

Citation

Mariano de la Rocque, “Cathedral Basilica,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed January 12, 2026, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/308.

Geolocation