Cathedral of the Plains

Erected between 1908 and 1911 by German and German Russian Catholics, this native limestone church is one of the largest buildings on the Great Plains. Its twin towers rise 141 feet above a 220 by 79 foot foundation, and its 100-pound blocks were placed by hand with only block and tackle for assistance. In addition to collectively contributing $192,000 to the project, each parishioner was required to haul six wagon loads of stone from quarries in southern Ellis County. The moving spirit behind the construction of Victoria's fourth Catholic church building was Father Jerome Mueller, a Capuchin-Franciscan. William Jennings Bryan called it the "Cathedral of the Plains," and on May 14, 1971, the church was approved by the National Park Service for entry in the National Register of Historic Places as a building of architectural significance.

Victoria, Kansas · United States