Historical Churches Walking Tour (Self Guided), Syracuse

Syracuse, NY is a melting pot of religious traditions and beliefs, which is evident in the local religious architecture. Most Christians in the city are Catholic, reflecting the influence of 19th and early 20th-century immigration patterns, when numerous Irish, German, Italian and eastern European settlers. Other than Catholic, there are dozens of other churches in the city, including Eastern Orthodox, Jehovah's Witness, Christian Science, Reformed Presbyterian, and Metaphysical Christian. Some of these are quite notable in terms of architectural and historical heritage. Here are the most prominent ones.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – consecrated in 1910, it features the Shrine of the Blessed Mother with a statue sculpted by LeMoyne College Professor Jacqueline Belfort-Chalat.

Another major historic temple in Syracuse is the Episcopal St. Paul's Cathedral, a Gothic-style edifice built in the early 1800s, added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1978.

Plymouth Congregational Church – designed in 1858 by Horatio Nelson White in the Romanesque Revival style. Its founding congregation was closely associated with the abolitionist movement in Syracuse. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1997.

Grace Episcopal Church – a historic Episcopal parish founded in 1871. This Gothic Revival building was also designed by Horatio Nelson White and was constructed in 1876. The church has a long history of social activism. In the late 1900s, David Pendleton Oakerhater, a Cheyenne warrior and political prisoner was baptized and ordained here. On March 20, 1973, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

To learn more about these and other impressive churches and cathedrals of Syracuse, NY, take this self-guided walking tour.