{"nrhp_refnum":"71000720","name":"Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"18th St. and the Pkwy.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.957397781000054,"lon":-75.16856212799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-06-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A cruciform stone church with a lanterned dome and a portico supported by four giant Corinthian columns, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in the mid-19th century.","why_significant":"The cathedral is significant for its architecture and its religious role. The nomination notes its interior frescoes by Constantino Brumidi, who is best known for decorating the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. It is described as the center of Catholic life in Philadelphia and the church for many years of Bishop John Neumann.","narrative":"Built in the mid-19th century in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is a cruciform stone church topped by a lanterned dome. Its portico is supported by four giant Corinthian columns, and the tower roof is copper. The design is credited to Napoleon LeBrun with help from Fr. John T. Mahoney, while much of the facade derives from mid-1850s designs by John Notman. Construction departed from the original plan: the west towers were omitted, the dome was lowered after the Corinthian colonnade was dropped, and wood replaced masonry in parts when funds ran short. Its interior holds frescoes by Constantino Brumidi, the artist best known for decorating the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. The building is regarded as the centre of Catholic life in Philadelphia and was for many years the church of Bishop John Neumann. A new copper dome roof was added in 1960, and few interior changes have been made since.","period_of_significance":"1846-66","architect_builder":"Napoleon LeBrun (designer), with assistance from Fr. John T. Mahoney; facade based on mid-1850s designs by John Notman","architectural_style":"Palladian Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"A new copper dome roof was added in 1960 to replace the original; few interior changes have been made.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.184595-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/71000720.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000720/ef9fa86240-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000720/ef9fa86240-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Beyond My Ken","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2013_Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saints_Peter_and_Paul_from_across_the_Benjamin_Franklin_Parkway_2.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Beyond My Ken</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2013_Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saints_Peter_and_Paul_from_across_the_Benjamin_Franklin_Parkway_2.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997368","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saints_Peter_and_Paul_(Philadelphia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5052192"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/cathedral-of-saints-peter-and-paul-71000720/"}