In 1874, what we know today as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Syracuse was the recently completed church for St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Parish.  This house of worship was just one of many to come from the drafting table of architect Laurence J. O’Conner to whom several important churches in New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia are attributed. In 1904, the parish church was elevated to the status of the cathedral for the recently created diocese of Syracuse.  Local architect Archimedes Russell was called upon to design a new bell tower and an expanded sanctuary.  These renovations would be the first of many over the years.  

In the summer of 2016, MPSB was awarded the contract for all aspects of liturgical and ecclesiastical design and oversight for the interior renovation of the cathedral. This was the second and last phase of a comprehensive renovation of the cathedral’s exterior and interior that was being led by QPK Design of Syracuse. ADA accessibility to the sanctuary, new decorative tile flooring throughout, refinishing the existing pews, architectural lighting, repairs to the original plaster and a new decorative painting scheme that drew upon period ecclesiastical patterns, with references to A.W.N. Pugin and the English Gothic Revival were all part of MPSB’s scope.  New sanctuary furnishings, including a new cathedra (bishop’s chair), were designed by MPSB, and fabricated by Stickley Audi & Company.