The Mexican War of Independence Inherited The Land

The Saint Joseph Cathedral in San Jose is an iconic landmark that has existed in its current location since the early 1800s. It has made over 200 years of contributions as a part of San Jose’s culture and history and has been a routine part of everyday life in multiple generations of families here. When discussing St. Joseph’s, the history of the structure, notable architects that designed St Joseph’s, and a comparison with St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome are all topics that come to mind. Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe was founded 1777 by Lt Jose Moraga in the name of King Carlos III of Spain. The Pueblo was an adobe compound that included a small church. Due to flooding, they requested to move the Pueblo to a safer location.

In 1797, they received permission to move the Pueblo to higher ground and it has remained at this site since. This also appeased the missionaries at Mission Santa Clara that thought the Pueblo was too close to the mission. The cornerstone of the church was placed in 1803 which started the construction of the new church. This church was constructed using sun-dried bricks, tile roof, and had high windows to permit light in. These windows were narrow on the outside and wider on the inside to protect the church interior from the elements while maximizing the amount of light to come in. During this time the Mexican war of independence occurred and Mexico inherited the land. This economically impacted the region as they were no longer financially supported by Spain.

Earthquakes were a common occurrence and caused damage to the church by 1822 the walls were cracked and the roof was near collapse. The church was reconstructed again using adobe in 1845 and used a tile roof. Through a quick series of events, California gained independence and was quickly occupied by United States forces during the Mexican-American War and upon its conclusion was annexed by the United States. Theodore Lenzen designed the third church and it was built in 1869. Lenzen had the church built out of wood instead of adobe to be more able to withstand earthquakes, however this led it to be more susceptible to fire. The church burned in 1875, however, the altar, the Meneely bell and the statue of Saint Patrick were saved.

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The fourth church was designed by Bryan Clinch and the cornerstone was laid in 1876. In 1906, an earthquake caused considerable damage in San Francisco and San Jose. However, Saint Joseph’s Cathedral survived, with no structural damage as a testament to Clinch’s architectural skill, but had considerable interior damages. The church was renovated in 1981 by the construction firms Toeniskoetter and Breeding and Dinwiddie Construction Co. Some of the renovations included using cables that ran around the inside of the dome with adjustable tension to maintain the shape of the dome as well as the addition of seismic supports. In 1990 the church was dedicated as the Cathedral of Saint Joseph’s, and in 1997 was raised to basilica status. It is now called the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph.

Two architects that were key in developing the structure were Theodore Lenzen and Bryan Clinch. Theodore Lenzen was a native of Prussia and was a builder by trade. He emigrated to the United States and came to reside in San Francisco in 1861. Other notable buildings he designed was the St Ignatius College and the Auzerais house (Feroben). After the fire, Bryan Clinch became the main architect behind the current design of St Joseph’s cathedral. He was born in Maryborough, Ireland in 1842 and pursued a career as a writer and an architect. Bryan Clinch was a member of the Hoffman and Clinch architectural firm. Other noteworthy structures that he designed were the Santa Clara Mission after the earthquake of 1868, the Boy’s Chapel at Santa Clara, and the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Sacramento. He had traveled to Italy at some point in his life and possibly this was what inspired the Greek cross design for St Joseph’s Cathedral.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral is a high renaissance-inspired cathedral that shares similar attributes as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. One of the similarities is the Greek cross design used for the layout of the floorplan for the building. Another trait that both buildings have in common is that their domes are both ribbed, wide, and round. A significant similarity between the two facades are that the columns are in the Corinthian order and both facades are symmetric. Both buildings have barrel vaults for the arms of the Greek cross, however, St. Joseph’s barrel vaults are ribbed. Pilasters line the walls in both churches as well.

When comparing images of the two basilicas, there are several differences that come to mind. The first major difference is the size of the structures, St. Peter’s is much larger than St. Joseph’s. St. Peter’s central portal is post and lintel and side portals are rounded arches, all three portals on the façade of St. Joseph’s are rounded arches with rose windows above them that are not found on St. Peter’s. St. Joseph’s façade has two towers on either side with ribbed rounded domes that are supported by columns. St. Peter’s does not have towers but instead has two clocks, one on each corner of the façade. In a comparison of the interior, St. Joseph’s is rather plain in decoration and St. Peter’s is very ornate in every aspect. The history of St. Joseph’s Basilica ps over 200 years. It is a complex structure that has survived the tests of time with the assistance of brilliant architects and a devoted congregation.

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