by Christine Lorraine Morgan, Jan. 12, 2026

St. Peter’s Cathedral in downtown Erie at W. 10th and Sassafras took 19 years to build, from 1874 to 1893. It is one of the city’s most incredible architectural features, and is included on Wikipedia’s “List of Tallest Church Buildings” of the world.

Here’s a 2018 Steeple view of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Erie at W. 10th and Sassafras. Wikipedia lists it among the tallest churches in the world.

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The cathedral is Gothic Revival in the French Victorian tradition called Second Empire, according to Wikipedia. “Much of the stone for the foundation came from dismantling the locks of the Erie Extension Canal, which closed in 1871. The exterior consists of red sandstone from Medina, NY and white sandstone trim from Amherst, Ohio and Mercer County PA,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter_Cathedral_(Erie,_Pennsylvania)#:~:text=Plans%20for%20the%20building%20of,formal%20ceremony%20held%20on%20St.

This 1908 Postcard shows the Bishop and Rector at Erie’s St. Peter’s Cathedral.

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Here’s the wiki link stating Erie’s St. Peter’s Cathedral is among the world’s tallest church buildings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_church_buildings#:~:text=91.0%20m%20(298%20ft),United%20States&text=Cathedral%20of%20St%20Peter,Orthodox%20Cathedral

St. Peter’s Cathedral steeple was undergoing maintenance in October 2021 when this image was captured.

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This 2016 side view of St. Peter’s Cathedral was taken from W. 10 St. facing northeast.