Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
| Saint Vibiana's Cathedral | |
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Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, 1885
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| Coordinates | 34°03′02″N 118°14′40″W / 34.0505°N 118.2444°WCoordinates: 34°03′02″N 118°14′40″W / 34.0505°N 118.2444°W |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Kysor & Mathews |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate |
| Designated | May 10, 1963 |
| Reference no. | 17 |
 Location of Saint Vibiana's Cathedral in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a former cathedralchurch building and parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, and remained the official cathedral of the Los Angeles see for over 100 years.
The cathedral was heavily damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake and became the subject of a lengthy legal battle between the archdiocese, which wanted to demolish the building and build a new cathedral on the site, and preservationists, who wanted the building to remain standing due to its historical significance. In 1996, the parties involved reached a compromise in which the archdiocese would purchase a nearby site on which to build a new cathedral, and in turn would turn over the St. Vibiana site to the City of Los Angeles. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was dedicated in 2002 as the successor to St. Vibiana's Cathedral.
In the late 2000s, the former cathedral building became an event venue called Vibiana. The Little Tokyo branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is also located on the site. The 1885 cathedral structure is one of the last remaining buildings from the early period of Los Angeles history.
Plans for a cathedral dated back to 1859, and land for the facility was donated by Amiel Cavalier. The complex, on the southeast corner of Main and Second streets in downtown Los Angeles, was dedicated in 1876 and cost $80,000 USD to build. The Cathedral's architects, Kysor & Mathews, also designed the landmark Pico House. The Baroque-inspired Italianate structure was a landmark in the early days of Los Angeles. When first opened, it held one-tenth of the young town's population. The interior was remodeled around 1895, using onyx and marble; the exterior facade was changed in 1922–24 to give it its present look, said to be based on a Roman design.
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