St. Matthew's Cathedral Close
a.k.a. St. Matthew's Cathedral Square
104 S. 4th St., Laramie, WYSt. Matthew's Cathedral Close is a religious property deriving its primary significance from historic and architectural importance. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, and method of construction representative of a 19th-century trend for buildings to reflect their use and the intentional influence of a group of English Ecclesiologists determined to promote the construction of accurate Gothic parish churches as the only suitable structures for Christian worship. St. Matthew's is a unique example of this influence because its stone construction, powerful vertical lines, and traditional Gothic elements reflect a sincere effort / to 'copy' the Ecclesiologist's standards rather than adapt them to local tastes and demands by using alternate materials and simplified elements as was often the trend in small western communities. Thus, it is possibly Wyoming's best example of Gothic Revival church architecture. Additionally, St. Matthew's is associated with the powerful 19th-century Episcopalian drive to exert a civilizing effect on the frontier through active missionary work in the west, where religion became a social thing and encouraged the development of well-ordered, civic-minded communities, nurtured strong community spirit, and accelerated social cohesion by providing a variety of family and community-oriented social activities.
Local significance of the district:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.