When construction of this Cathedral began in early 1866, no one suspected that they would have to start anew in just a few months. This is, however, just what happened when the
Great Portland Fire of July 4, 1866 levelled the Cathedral, along with half of the city. Rebuilding began in 1868 and the Cathedral was dedicated on September 8, 1869.
Restored in 2000 (the Millennium Restoration), it had also been restored in 1921 and renovated in 1969. The interior is 186' by 70' and the vaulted ceiling rises 70' above the floor. The length of the main aisle is 150'. There are 7 pillars on each side of the nave which form 7 Gothic arches. The Cathedral seats 900 people.
With three steeples, the Cathedral is the tallest building in Portland, the main spire soaring 204 feet above ground. Also, there are a pair of bell towers, a second smaller one at the rear of the nave on the northeast side. This is that tower off, the side of the nave, containing a single bell which, we assume, was intended as a school bell. It forms an entrance to the hall, which was added to the Cathedral in 1927. A later addition, the hall was originally a school but is now a meeting hall and recreational centre.
Each tower is topped by a tall, slender spire with flared eaves. The main entrance is a large Gothic double doorway with a deep multi-stepped stone frame and a portico roof above. Above is a symbol of the Catholic Bishop, while further above is a large rose window, containing stained glass and heavy tracery. A second smaller front entrance in the large tower mimics the main entry.
At the front of the nave is a large balcony mounted pipe organ, set off by the large rose window behind. Side windows and chancel windows are all stained glass, most dedicated to past parishioners.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, designed by the famous church architect, P. C. Keeley of Brooklyn, New York, is a strong architectural statement in the Gothic Revival Style which dominates the Portland skyline as viewed from the west. Together with its chapel, the Bishop's residence and the early 20th century school (now called the Cathedral Hall) it represents the spiritual headquarters for the Diocese of Maine.
Built on the ashes of an earlier cathedral structure nearing completion but wiped out by the Great Portland Fire of 1866, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and associated buildings (the chapel and the Bishop's residence) rose again almost immediately on the same site clearly demonstrating the vitality of the Diocese of Maine.
The chapel, in fact, was dedicated on December 23, 1866 only five months after the fire while the new cathedral and the Bishop's residence were ready for occupancy in July, 1869.
The Cathedral Hall, originally a school, and now a recreational center and meeting place, was built in 1927 and designed in a compatible late Gothic Revival adaptation.
From the NRHP Nomination Form