Cathedral centennial

This article was published on 06.19.08

On May 21, 1906, Catholic officials purchased the Sol Levy home at the corner of Second and Chestnut (now Arlington Avenue) for $10,000 as the site of a church, possibly a cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in June and on Sept. 15, Father Thomas Tubman returned to Reno from Grass Valley where he obtained the Sacramento bishop’s approval for a cathedral (Reno was then in the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento). St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral was dedicated June 21, 1908, and was one of the city’s most striking architectural features. A Dec. 21, 1909, fire collapsed the ceiling and did other major damage. The building was salvaged and reopened the next year. In spite of the hard times of the Depression, a school building behind the church was added and dedicated in October 1931. A cathedral renovation in the 1950s added the dominant interior feature, a wraparound mural that surrounds the altar, and new stained glass windows were added in the 1960s. Since that renovation, the interior has become a bit worn and fundraising is now going on to upgrade it, but St. Thomas remains a work of art.

On May 21, 1906, Catholic officials purchased the Sol Levy home at the corner of Second and Chestnut (now Arlington Avenue) for $10,000 as the site of a church, possibly a cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in June and on Sept. 15, Father Thomas Tubman returned to Reno from Grass Valley where he obtained the Sacramento bishop’s approval for a cathedral (Reno was then in the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento). St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral was dedicated June 21, 1908, and was one of the city’s most striking architectural features. A Dec. 21, 1909, fire collapsed the ceiling and did other major damage. The building was salvaged and reopened the next year. In spite of the hard times of the Depression, a school building behind the church was added and dedicated in October 1931. A cathedral renovation in the 1950s added the dominant interior feature, a wraparound mural that surrounds the altar, and new stained glass windows were added in the 1960s. Since that renovation, the interior has become a bit worn and fundraising is now going on to upgrade it, but St. Thomas remains a work of art.

Photo By Dennis Myers

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