An Arts and Crafts Gem in the Queen City: A Tour of St. Peter's Cathedral

Did you know Helena has two cathedrals of architectural significance? Helena’s “other” Cathedral, St. Peter’s, is the principal church of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana. Constructed of local brick and brownstone, it stands on North Park Avenue between the YWCA and Hill Park and was designed by Spokane architect Harold C. Whitehouse in 1930-1931.

The Cathedral’s decoration and furnishings are among the finest expressions of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Northern Rockies. The movement originated in Great Britain in the 1880s and was “...marked by a desire to revive the craftsmanship associated with traditional arts…” Whitehouse collaborated with nationally renowned crafts artists from Boston to Detroit to Spokane and New York City to decorate what one retired Dean of the Cathedral calls: “A little piece of the English countryside that dropped out of the Big Sky…”

Architectural historian Patty Dean will present a one-hour tour of St. Peter’s exterior and interior on Wednesday, October 2nd, at 5.30 PM; there will be some standing and walking. Following the tour, wine and cheese will be served in the Cathedral’s Guild Room. Tickets are $12/each, must be purchased in advance and are limited to 25 people. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Cathedral’s ongoing capital campaign.

Host or Publisher Patty Dean