Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, Providence

The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is a towering reminder that the Providence’s Catholic roots run deep-and that grand, Gothic architecture never goes out of style. Its history began humbly in 1832 when Rev. John Corry staked out “Christian Hill” as a future home for Providence’s growing Catholic flock. By 1838, the original church was up and running, but thanks to waves of Irish immigrants filling the pews, the congregation quickly outgrew its cozy confines.

By 1872, Bishop Thomas Francis Hendricken had seen enough overcrowding and called in architect Patrick C. Keely to design something bigger and better. Construction kicked off in 1878, and although the bishop didn’t live to see it completed, the finished structure was consecrated in 1889-a structure that mixed French Gothic grandeur with Romanesque touches.

Step inside, and you’re treated to vaulted ceilings that seem to stretch forever, radiant stained glass from Munich’s Royal Bavarian Institute, and an altar carved from French Alpine green marble. Over the years, the cathedral’s gotten a few touch-ups-because even heavenly abodes need a little maintenance-and in 1975, it made its debut on the National Register of Historic Places.