Begun in 1925, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is one of the few examples of true Gothic architecture in the U.S. Designed by well known architect
Harold Clarence Whitehouse, of the firm of Whitehouse & Price, of Spokane, this cathedral is unique in that it was the only major cathedral to have been completed within the lifetime of the founding bishop. That bishop was The Right Reverend Edward Makin Cross, whose vision was the catalyst for the construction of St. John the Evangelist. Architecturally, it is classical Gothic with a strong French influence. Though dedication of the first section of the cathedral took place on October 20, 1929, it was not totally completed until 1961.
At about the same time as the cathedral was finally finished, Jewett House was begun. Jewett House, the working space of the Cathedral,
was built by Sceva Construction of Spokane in 1960 and 1961. To the east of the cathedral and the welcome centre, it contains meeting and activity rooms, as well as larger halls available for church functions, rentable for weddings and other private affairs.