Cathedral of the Madeleine

The Cathedral of the Madeleine rose on Catholic mining money. Bishop Lawrence Scanlan, who had shepherded a scattered flock across pioneer Utah, began buying the land in 1889 and saw the cathedral dedicated in 1909, paid for by the old Pius Fund, by wealthy mining benefactors, and by the pennies of parishioners. Its architects gave it a Romanesque shell and a Gothic interior, richly painted and glassed. In a city of Latter-day Saint spires, the Madeleine stands as the mother church of Utah's Catholics, and one of Salt Lake's great buildings.

What the plaque says

Begun with land purchase in 1889. Dedicated 1909. Architects: C.M. Neuhausen, B.O. Mecklenburg, John Comes. Built under leadership of Bishop Lawrence Scanlon with monies from the Pius Fund, mining philanthropists, and parishoners.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Salt Lake City — 0.5 mi
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Temple Square — 0.5 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City
• Ensign Peak — 1.4 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Liberty Park — 1.8 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882

More markers nearby

• First Presbyterian Church — steps away
• Grave of Brigham Young — 0.2 mi
• St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral — 0.2 mi
• Twentieth Ward School — 0.2 mi