Web Tour of the Cathedral

Web tour of the cathedral

		Cathedral facade on Main Street at dusk - View west from Main Street. One of the oldest Gothic-style churches in the United States, Christ Church Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Building began in 1827, and the church was consecrated in December, 1829.

		The Cathedral circa late 1800s - View looking south along Main Street with trolley tracks and horse drawn buggy.

		View of the chancel from the center aisle - When it was built, Christ Church measured 100 feet long by 70 feet wide. In 1879 the chancel was recessed, adding 16 feet to the length. This addition is marked by the molded arch. Ohio stone was set in place in rough block, and the moldings cut after it was in position. The roof inside the arch is oak, made in the form of a barrel vault with molded ribs and elaborately carved bosses where the ribs intersect. At its highest point, the ceiling rises 46 feet above the floor of the church. It consists of six trusses put together without mortise or tenon. This is an early example of what later became Ithiel Town’s patented design for bridges.

		View of the chancel from the balcony - The present organ, dedicated in 1965, is located on the right side of the chancel. The original Christ Church owned the first organ in Hartford and in this part of Connecticut. Until the 20th Century the organ was situated in the rear gallery. The brass eagle lectern, symbolic of St. John carrying the Word throughout the world, was made by John Harman & Co. of Birmingham, England. It was added to the Church in 1879.

		The High Altar - The heavily carved altar was inspired by a tomb in Canterbury Cathedral. The front panels are carved with the symbols of the four writers of the Gospel. The center panel features Christ’s cross surrounded by fleur-de-lis. The 27 foot high Chancel window depicts the Transfiguration. Given in memory of the Rev. Dr. Wheaton, it depicts Christ in the center light above the transom. On the right is Moses with the stone tablets and on the left, Elias holds a book. Peter, James and John fill the lower lights.

		Chapel of the Nativity - Replacing the Chapel built in 1879 (now the choir room), the Chapel of the Nativity dates from 1907. The walls are painted blue and stenciled with fleur-de-lis, the symbol of the Virgin Mary. Overhead, the dark blue ceiling is painted with stars, a reminder of the sky over Bethlehem the first Christmas. The floor is red Mercer tile. There is a carved wood screen behind the altar; three painted panels that depict the Annunciation, the Crucifixion and the Nativity and a painted tile mosaic portraying Dorcas giving clothing to the poor (Acts 9:36-42).3.

		The Antiphonal Organ - The antiphonal device built in 2001 by the Austin Organ Company completed the original1965 plan. The rear gallery organ is enclosed in a handsome case of red oak, and provides support for congregational singing. The Trompette-en-Chamade stop, horizontal pipes made of brass, is the crowning glory of the rear organ as well as a triumphant sound over all the organ. With the addition of the antiphonal division, the Cathedral's organ has sixty stops and seventy-one ranks of pipes.

		Stained Glass Windows - The style of the eight stained glass windows is copied from The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford. Each window is divided into three bays by mullions rising to intersect the arch. Twenty five feet high, a transom divides the upper and lower compartments. Most were made by the London firm of Heaton, Butler & Bayne.

		The Cathedral House Built in 1916, the Cathedral House is where the Cathedral's main offices are located as well as an auditorium and meeting rooms. Our Church Street Eats Program and the Hands on Hartford Manna Program serve more than 40,000 meals annually from this location to Hartford's indigent population.