Scottish Rite Cathedral (New Castle, Pennsylvania)
The Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States, was designed by Milwaukee architect R. G. Schmidt and built in 1925.[2] First used in November 1926 as a meeting place for Masonic groups,[2] it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Unable to pay taxes during the Great Depression, the Masons lost the building to the county,[2] but reacquired it in 1940 with the creation of the Cathedral Foundation.[2] This non-profit foundation continues to operate the Cathedral today.[3]
| Scottish Rite Cathedral | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Front view of Cathedral | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Cathedral |
| Architectural style | Neo-classic |
| Location | 41°0′19″N 80°20′41″W / 41.00528°N 80.34472°W |
| Address | 110 E. Lincoln Ave |
| Town or city | New Castle, PA |
| Country | USA |
| Construction started | 1925 |
| Completed | 1926 |
| Inaugurated | November 8, 1926 |
| Cost | 1.7 million |
| Owner | Cathedral Foundation |
| Height | 180 feet |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | R. G. Schmidt |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 2,834 |
| Website | |
| cathedralnewcastle.com | |
Scottish Rite Cathedral | |
  | |
| Location | 110 E. Lincoln Ave., New Castle, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 41°00′17″N 80°20′41″W / 41.00472°N 80.34472°W |
| Area | 6.8 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Built by | Schmid, Richard Gustav; Seisel, S.M. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001266[1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 2008 |
History
editJohn S. Wallace, a Masonic official and first Commander-In-Chief of the New Castle area,[3] desired a building large enough to accommodate all Masonic groups.[3] Though the land on which the Cathedral sits was purchased in 1918, additional land was bought in 1921, 1923, and 1924.[3] Because the builders ran into quicksand, piling had to be added to the back of the building to ensure the structure was sound.[3] At the time it was built, the Cathedral was the largest facility between New York and Chicago.[2]
Today
editThe Cathedral continues to be used today for wedding receptions, banquets, and most notably for performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.[4] The auditorium in which the symphony performs has a seating capacity of 2,834, and a stage that is 82 feet wide, 46 feet deep, and 65 feet high.[2]