Cathedral of the Plains--Victoria

Location:  From I-70 take exit 168 and go South 2 miles to Victoria.  The historic church is in the middle of town.

Contact:  ph.   785/735-2777

William Jennings Bryan first called this huge and beautiful church the "Cathedral of the Plains" during a Presidential campaign stop in 1912 .  Though not technically a Cathedral, it is still quite impressive with it's twin 141 foot towers.

Completed in 1911, the estimated 125,000 cubic feet of limestone used in the construction were quarried and dressed  at a site seven miles south of the church.  The stone was then hauled to the construction site in horse-drawn wagons with  much of this back-breaking work done by members of the parish.  The finished stones weighing between 50 and 100 pounds each were lifted into place without benefit of today's modern lifting equipment.  It was a huge task, and inspires awe to this day.  With it's seating capacity of 1,100, it was the largest church west of the Mississippi River at the time.

The interior of the church is equally impressive.  The eighteen large granite pillars on the inside were brought  from Vermont by rail at a cost of $4,000--a huge sum in those days.  After failing to move the fifteen ton stone pillars to the building site by farm wagon, the builders had to resort to a modified threshing machine frame pulled by a team of eight horses.

The church was placed on the National Historic Register in 1971 as a place of architectural significance.  It was carefully restored beginning in 1994 at a cost of $265,000.  The exterior was repaired and sealed with the interior plaster also restored and repainted at that time.

You are welcome to come inside the church to view the beautiful stained glass windows and breathtaking arched vaulted ceiling.  Please keep in mind that this is a house of worship and should be respected as such.

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