St. Patrick's Old Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Lower Manhattan that served as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of New York in the 19th century. Construction took place between 1809 and 1815, and it remained the seat of the archdiocese until St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue became the cathedral in 1879.

The complex includes an upper church used for regular parish liturgies and a lower church or crypt that contains burials and memorials linked to the parish’s 19th-century community. The site is notable for its continuous parish use and its association with the early Irish Catholic population of New York.

Built and opened in the early 1800s to serve a growing Catholic population, the church later ceded cathedral status in 1879 but continued as a parish and historic site. It has undergone restorations and retains elements of its original interior arrangement.

The church stands on Mulberry Street in the Nolita/SoHo area of Lower Manhattan, within walking distance of Chinatown and other downtown Manhattan neighborhoods.

• Founding and cathedral status: Constructed between 1809 and 1815 and served as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York until 1879.
• Location and access: Located on Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan, within the Nolita/SoHo area, and remains an active parish church with public visiting hours.

What to See #

• Upper Church: The main worship space used for parish liturgies and public visiting; retains original early 19th-century fabric and the elevated nave used since completion in the 1810s.
• Lower Church / Crypt: A lower level used historically as a crypt and for additional services, containing burials and memorials associated with the cathedral community.