Bryn Athyn Cathedral
| Bryn Athyn Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 Location of Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Pennsylvania
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| Type | Cathedral |
| Coordinates | 40°08′04.02″N 75°03′48.58″W / 40.1344500°N 75.0634944°WCoordinates: 40°08′04.02″N 75°03′48.58″W / 40.1344500°N 75.0634944°W |
| Official name: Bryn Athyn Cathedral | |
| Criteria | Roadside |
| Designated | September 10, 1947 |
| Part of | Bryn Athyn Historic District |
| Location | Huntingdon Pike (PA 232) in Bryn Athyn at Cathedral |
| Marker Text | This Swedenborgian center is noted architecturally. Buildings in 14th-century Gothic and 12th-century Romanesque styles. Built by cooperative craft guilds in medieval way. Endowed by John Pitcairn. |
Bryn Athyn Cathedral is the episcopal seat of The General Church of the New Jerusalem, a denomination of "The New Church." The main building is of the Early Gothic style, while the adjoining structures are of a transitional period reflective of a combination of both Gothic and Norman styles. The exterior appearance of the Cathedral itself is reminiscent of Gloucester Cathedral in England.
The Cathedral is located in Bryn Athyn, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania just outside the city of Philadelphia. Bryn Athyn is also the site of the General Church affiliated Academy of the New Church, which publishes Swedenborgian literature, and is the parent organization of a high school, a four-year college (Bryn Athyn College of the New Church), a divinity school, and the Emanuel Swedenborg Library.
The Cathedral was constructed from 1913-1919. The Cathedral's initial design was by the Boston architecture firm of Ralph Adams Cram. The planning of the Cathedral began under the direction of William Fredrick Pendleton, the Bishop of the Church, and John Pitcairn, president of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries), who was the major benefactor donating the property and much of the funds to construct the cathedral.
Raymond Pitcairn, John Pitcairn's son, became involved with the project and worked with the firm of Ralph Adams Cram. As time passed, the architecture firm became less involved with the work leaving Raymond Pitcairn in charge. Mr. Pitcairn realized that the workers and artisans working on the cathedral should be directly employed by the church and that creative changes by artists and builders working together which happen during the design process should be nurtured rather than thwarted. This led to some very unorthodox construction practices. For example, rather than relying on blueprints and plans, almost every aspect of the design was made into scale models where Mr. Pitcairn and the workers could study, review and embellish their ideas before actually constructing them.
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