Saint Paul's Roman Catholic Cathedral

Original downtown (Fifth and St. Peter Avenues)
St. Paul, MN 55101

(There were three former cathedral buildings in downtown St. Paul. Erben was probably moved to the new 1906 building on the hill in rear gallery. See notes below.)
Builder: Erben Organ Co., 1868
Manuals: 2
Stops: 30
Ranks: Unknown
Action: Mechanical
Pipes: 1792
2-16' stops
8-8' stops
Cost: $7000
Case: 36' high, 18' wide, 12' deep

Notes: There were three previous sites of the St. Paul Cathedral: the first was actually a log cabin, located on Kellogg Blvd. All that remains is an oil painting from early days in the Cathedral archives. I was told that the log building was taken apart, to be saved and relocated, but some worker did not get the message to save the wood, and burned the lumber not knowing of its origin!! A very sad tale!

There were then two other Cathedrals, built in the late-1800s, very near one another. There are photos of both buildings! The first turned out to be too small, as the local RC population grew, so a new larger building was built practically around the corner, near Fifth and St. Peter: there was (and may still be) a metal plaque on The Hamm Bldg noting the site of the third Cathedral. The Cathedral Museum has photos of the older structures, including interior shots.

Roger Burg (former Cathedral organist), 2021.