Overview

Architect John V. Bennes used Rattlesnake Ash-Flow Tuff, igneous rock blown out of a volcano in the Harney Basin (south-central OR) about seven million years ago, to compose the walls of the church and rectory of the Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral. Volcanic material from the eruption was launched high into the atmosphere and rained back down on 13,000 square miles of eastern OR, creating a new crust over the landscape.

Building History

This Gothic Revival church was the third Roman Catholic facility in Baker City, the first having been completed in 1862, and the second in 1871. Baker City was an important stop on the Oregon Trail for Euro-American settlers during the 19th century.

Architect John Virginius Bennes, Sr., (1867-1943), first headquartered in Baker City, designed the church to serve a new Roman Catholic bishopric in Baker City formed in 1903, the Diocese of Baker City. This was shortened to the "Diocese of Baker" in 1952. Bennes moved his practice to Portland, OR, in 1906, partnering with Erick W. Hendricks and Willard F. Tobey.

Building Notes

The Baker Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, at a time of intense historic preservation work in the Pacific Northwest. The Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral and rectory were designated as contributing properties to the Baker Historic District.

The cathedral complex included a rectory (1906-1907), composed of the same dark volcanic stone as the cathedral, and a chancery, completed in the 1960s.

Alteration

The diocese added stained glass windows on three occasions, in 1923, 1958 and 1965.

The diocese also undertook renovations of the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales during World War II (1944), in 1958, 1980 and after 2007. The 1944 work included stencilled decorations being applied in the apse and sanctuary. Renovation of 1958, took out two sacristies and erased the stencilling. In 1980, church administrators put in a tripartite screen in the apseand relocated the tabernacle.

An alteration in 2023, aimed to make the church more accessible for those in wheelchairs. The Saint Francis de Sales website stated: "Starting in July, 2023, our parish will be undergoing a major construction project. Our front steps, elevator, and the parish hall bathrooms will not be servicable. We will be using the east and west side entrances. The Day Chapel door will also be opened for handicap assesability utilizing our chair lift." (See Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral Parish.org, "Welcome to St. Francis de Sales Cathedral Parish," accessed 07/03/2023.)

PCAD id: 24698