St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral

National Register List Date: 9/21/1970 

Construction Year:1871 Year 2:1882

Architect: Richard Upjohn

For more than 150 years, the Cathedral Church of St. Mark has stood as a place of worship, service, and refuge—woven into Utah's civic, cultural, and architectural history. Founded in the nineteenth century, St. Mark’s was the first Protestant parish in the Salt Lake Valley and remains the state's oldest non-Mormon cathedral. It is also widely recognized as one of the oldest religious buildings in continuous use in Salt Lake City. 

In recognition of its historical and architectural importance, the Cathedral Church of St. Mark was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Beginnings on the Frontier

The story of St. Mark’s begins in 1867, just two years after the Civil War, when Daniel S. Tuttle arrived in Salt Lake City as the first missionary bishop for the Episcopal Church in a vast western territory that included present-day Utah, Idaho, and Montana. A small congregation had already formed under the leadership of the Rev. George W. Foote and the Rev. George D. B. Miller. From 1867 to 1871, worship services were held in Independence Hall, an adobe building on Third South. On November 15, 1870, the parish of St. Mark’s was formally organized, marking an important chapter in the religious diversity of the young city.

A Cathedral Takes Shape

From the beginning, Bishop Tuttle envisioned a permanent cathedral that would reflect the values of the American frontier—simple, strong, and enduring. With support from Episcopalians in the eastern United States, construction began in 1870 with the laying of the cornerstone.

The Cathedral was designed by Richard Upjohn, one of the most influential church architects in American history and the founding president of the American Institute of Architects. St. Mark’s is believed to be among the last churches Upjohn designed, making it especially significant.

Rather than replicating European grandeur, Upjohn’s design embraced restraint and permanence. Built of native red sandstone, with thick walls and heavy timber roof trusses, the Cathedral conveyed stability in a frontier city still defining itself. Though modest in size—seating about 500 people—it was large enough at the time to hold every Episcopalian in the territory.

Construction unfolded in stages. The nave was completed in 1871, and the first service was held inside that September. The Cathedral was formally consecrated in 1874, though additional work continued for decades. By 1902, nearly thirty years after the first stone was laid, the Cathedral had taken its current form.

Architecture That Endures

The Cathedral Church of St. Mark is a restrained yet powerful example of Gothic Revival architecture adapted to the realities of the American frontier. Designed by Richard Upjohn, the building reflects the core principles of Gothic church design—vertical emphasis, light, and craftsmanship—while remaining grounded in practicality and durability.

The Cathedral is constructed of locally quarried native red sandstone, laid in thick masonry walls that give the building its distinctive color, texture, and mass. These walls serve both a structural and aesthetic role, conveying a sense of permanence that was especially meaningful in a frontier city still taking shape.

The building follows a cruciform plan, oriented east–west, with a long nave intersected by transepts. This form was developed in stages between 1870 and 1902, yet the additions were carefully integrated so that the Cathedral reads today as a unified architectural whole rather than a series of separate expansions.

The exterior is marked by Gothic-arched windows set deep within the stone walls, their proportions emphasizing height and rhythm along the façade. Rose windows are set within the gables, providing both visual focus and filtered light to the interior. The Cathedral’s steeply pitched roof, originally covered in wood shingles and later materials, is supported by heavy timber framing and contributes to the building’s strong vertical profile.

Inside, the nave is defined by its exposed timber roof structure, including heavy beams and trusses supported by stone corbels. This structural system is not concealed but expressed, reflecting nineteenth-century craftsmanship and the honest use of materials. The interior proportions are modest yet dignified, creating an intimate space that remains visually connected from floor to ceiling.

The Cathedral’s stained glass windows represent nearly a century of artistic work and include pieces by renowned studios such as Tiffany and Connick. These windows are integral to the architecture, designed to work with the building’s scale, wall thickness, and light conditions rather than as decorative overlays.

Later additions—including transepts, the chancel, and cloistered spaces—were constructed with attention to matching materials, proportions, and detailing, ensuring visual continuity with the original design. Even where changes occurred following the 1935 fire, restoration efforts respected the Cathedral’s established architectural language.

A Legacy of Service and Community

From its earliest years, St. Mark’s has been deeply committed to service beyond its walls. Just four years after organizing, the parish raised funds for victims of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1906, its choir joined others in a benefit concert for victims of the San Francisco earthquake. That tradition continues today through ministries such as Hildegarde’s Food Pantry, which serves thousands of people each month, as well as through ongoing outreach, education, and advocacy.

Members of the St. Mark’s community also helped establish enduring institutions, including St. Mark’s School, Rowland Hall School, and St. Mark’s Hospital, shaping the social and civic life of Utah far beyond the Cathedral grounds.

More than 150 years after its founding—and more than 50 years after its listing on the National Register of Historic Places—the Cathedral Church of St. Mark continues to stand as a symbol of faith, craftsmanship, resilience, and care in Salt Lake City.